Online play in BC

What BC says about online casinos

This page sets out how online gambling is arranged in British Columbia as of October 2026, drawn mainly from provincial and BCLC sources. It covers who runs it, who regulates it, what the province says about other sites, and where support is available.

Prepared by the Travel Desk editors · checked October 2026

No. 1Who runs online gambling in BC

On behalf of the provincial government, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) operates every form of commercial gambling across the province. This includes both casinos and online gambling. The province's gambling page states that, in BC, gambling is lawful only if the provincial government operates it.

BCLC's online gambling site is PlayNow. It provides sports betting, lottery, poker and casino games. BCLC owns and operates it for the province, and only players located in BC may use it.

The regulator is the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO). The Gaming Control Act, a new statute, took effect on April 13, 2026; on that day, GPEB (Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch) became the IGCO. Under the new Act, the regulator is independent and is responsible for anti-money-laundering. The regulator can also give BCLC directives without needing the minister's consent.

No. 2Who may use PlayNow

Under the PlayNow Player Agreement, dated May 15, 2024, a player must meet three conditions:

  • be at least 19 years old
  • be a BC resident
  • not be enrolled in Game Break or otherwise prohibited

PlayNow's registration pages add that you must be physically in BC when you play.

A major Canadian credit bureau verifies both age and residency. BCLC's eGaming FAQ sets the weekly ceiling for transfers into an account at $9,999. The province also describes PlayNow as running on fully verified, account-based play.

Visitors from outside the province, including travellers passing through YVR, do not meet the residency requirement. If you are visiting, the land-based options are described on the River Rock page and the other casinos nearby page.

No. 3The official position on other sites

The IGCO regulates online gambling in BC, and PlayNow holds the sole licence. In BC, PlayNow.com is the sole online gambling site operating legally.

Other sites can sometimes be opened from BC, yet without a BC licence they remain illegal. Such a site may delay withdrawals or impose extra verification steps, and nobody will intervene to prevent it.

This guide does not recommend or link to any online gambling operator.

No. 4Policy changes in 2025 and 2026

The official sources record two recent changes:

  • October 1, 2025: BCLC started sending reports on casino payouts above $10,000 to FINTRAC, Canada's federal agency for financial intelligence. These reports include the identity of the person who ultimately receives the money.
  • April 13, 2026: the Gaming Control Act took effect, and the IGCO replaced GPEB.

The desk found no official BC government or BCLC source saying that the province plans to license private online operators. News outlets have reported ministerial comments in 2025 and 2026 about unregulated online gambling and about the PlayNow platform itself. The desk has not been able to confirm these reports from official sources, so they are not presented here as fact.

No. 5GameSense and Game Break

GameSense is BCLC's responsible gambling program. Launched in 2009, it forms part of PlayNow itself. Several means are available for contacting GameSense Advisors:

  • by phone at 1-866-815-0222
  • through PlayNow Live Chat
  • in person at any BC casino or community gaming centre

BCLC's program for voluntary self-exclusion is called Game Break. A term may run for one, two or three years, or for six months. An exclusion begins as soon as you enrol and cannot be cancelled or shortened before it ends, although it can be extended at any time. You may enrol in any of these ways:

  • by visiting a BCLC office or a gambling facility
  • virtually with a GameSense Advisor
  • directly on PlayNow.com

Wherever a person enrols, the exclusion covers PlayNow as well as every gambling facility in BC. If this matters to you, you may wish to confirm the coverage with a GameSense Advisor when you enrol.

No. 6If you would like support

Gambling Support BC offers free, confidential help to BC residents. Its services include one-on-one and group counselling, for your own gambling or a family member's, as well as anonymous outreach and Indigenous services. The helpline is 1-888-795-6111, toll-free and open 24/7.

Further details are on the Gambling Support BC site and on the desk's support services page.

Asked at the desk

Questions

In BC, is PlayNow the sole legal online casino?
Yes, no online gambling site in BC is legal except PlayNow.com. BCLC runs PlayNow on behalf of the province, and PlayNow holds the sole licence.
Can a visitor to BC use PlayNow?
PlayNow's Player Agreement requires players to be BC residents aged 19 or older, and its registration pages add that they must be physically in BC when they play. A visitor who does not live in the province would not meet the residency requirement.
Who regulates online gambling in BC now?
On April 13, 2026, IGCO, the Independent Gambling Control Office, took over BC gambling regulation from the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch. Sources that still name GPEB as the current regulator are out of date.
Does Game Break cover both PlayNow and casinos?
Yes, wherever a person enrols, the exclusion applies to PlayNow and to every gambling facility in BC. You may wish to confirm the scope with a GameSense Advisor at 1-866-815-0222.