Legal Online Gambling in British Columbia

Situated at the furthest western portion…

… of the country, the Canadian province of British Columbia is constantly working on improving its residents’ quality of living. The scenic territory filled with natural riches is matched by a well-organized social and administration environment, with the local government continuously introducing regulations to further progress.

The gambling issue in Canada has always been resolved smoothly, which is hardly the case with their immediate southern neighbour – the US. In fact, US legal gambling has been in a state of flux for quite some time now.

British Columbia, on the other hand…

… offers its residents a range of licensed gameplay options, both land-based and online. They have the full setup of a regulatory body, licensed operator and the full selection of gambling options – lottery, sports betting and gaming (casino slots, table games and poker action).

Top 4 Canada Casino Sites

Top sites ranked by 10 years of experience

1	888 Casino	100% up to C$1,000	Read Review Play Players Accepted
2	Casoo Casino	100% up to $/€200 + 100 Free Spins	Read Review Play Players Accepted
3	King Billy Casino	100% up to C$500 + 100 Free Spins	Read Review Play Players Accepted
4	mBitCasino	175% up to ₿2 + 300 Free Spins	Play Players Accepted

Land-based Gambling in British Columbia 2019

The land-based gambling sphere…

… in British Columbia is rich in options. By law, the province can hold up to 22 casinos on its territory, with 17 operating so far – 15 casinos and 2 racetrack casinos. What is more, residents of the province can additionally visit 6 bingo establishments and up to 19 Community Gaming Centers.

Speaking of which…

… the lesser part of the gaming sector in BC is mainly contained in these centres (slots and bingo), as the majority of these services are exclusively provided from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). A small portion of actual commercial gambling services is present at racetracks (horserace betting), while the rest of it is comprised in charitable and religious organizations. The last ones can obtain a license to practice legal online gambling and provide such content at their events to finance particular causes.

The BCLC is in charge of regulating the gambling sphere, as well as providing the greater part of the content, as mentioned above.

Just in January 2018, the BCLC started off their anti-money laundering measures, the following suit from other Canadian provinces also looking to eliminate such malicious activities. As a result, land-based casinos now comply with the requirement to inspect and confirm the source of funds for all deposits over 10k CAD within 24 hours.

Legal Online Gambling in British Columbia

The same monopoly…

… the approach is present in the sphere of interactive gambling, with the BCLC launching their online platform PlayNow in July 2010. Since then, residents of the province have been able to enjoy licensed gameplay content covering bingo, lottery, sports betting and slots. Table games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette and Sic Bo were also made available at the time.

At last came the interactive poker action, through the BCLB partnership with Loto-Quebec established in 2012. Nowadays, British Columbia is thought to have one of the healthiest poker pools across the country, along with active player traffic across other products.

Even at that…

… this licensed online gambling operator is still set to compete against offshore operators willing to provide their services to BC residents. In this regard, the authoritative body and provider call upon the Criminal Code of Conduct, claiming that such websites may be acting against it, and their own interests by obtruding their marketplace.

Other provinces such as Ontario and Quebec…

… have been supportive of this claim, but many more claims have been made towards the legality of offshore operators’ operations. They are assumed to be conducting business on completely legal grounds, as long as they don’t have any physical presence in the country.

Currently…

… there are over a couple of dozen offshore operators freely servicing the extensive player pool at British Columbia. These are normally internationally oriented, and constantly keep up with the latest releases in the industry, bringing only the freshest game launches and innovations to BC players.

How to Make the Most of Online Gambling in British Columbia?

With a fully licensed onshore operator servicing the territory, making the most of your endeavours is as easy as it can be. Nevertheless, there have been complaints about the limited choice of gameplay, which turned many players towards the offshore operators servicing the market.

Even at that, they are licensed at their respective jurisdictions, managing to run a fully regulated business, and at the same time, provide players with some peace of mind.

In order to benefit…

… from deposits and gameplay at both of these options, BC casino and gambling enthusiasts are best off following some proven tips and tactics, such as those listed below:

Check Game Library

Most of the offshore casinos, particularly, aim to provide the full range of game options normally expected at casino platforms, all in order to be ample competition to the onshore counterpart. However, players are advised to have some preferred titles or gaming formats in mind, all in order to make the best choice of casino. After all, the game library is where you will spend most of your time at the casino floor, not the registration page.

Consider Banking Methods

Regardless if the chosen casino site is Canada-oriented or aims to meet the needs of an international audience, banking methods need to meet your needs. Considering that you are trying to make the most of your bankroll, having suitable payment processing options at the casino will definitely work better than opting for foreign ones that don’t even accept wagers in your national currency.

Develop a Strategy

Thinking ahead when it comes to the game selection and taking some precautions regarding the banking methods is one thing, but a full-on betting strategy for your favourite is sure to help maximise your winnings even more. The first thing you need to do is learn the ins and outs of the game you will be trying to win it, and only then develop strategies which could potentially affect the outcome of the game, or alternatively, the sum of your winnings.

Have Fun!

With all these considerations, rules, regulations and restrictions, players often forget the primary purpose of casinos, both offline and online. These are entertainment establishments and should play that part for all British Columbia enthusiasts.