Manitoba to launch gaming site
Province is sixth to offer regulated egaming, including poker and casino games
Canadian province Manitoba has partnered with British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) to offer regulated online gambling to its residents for the first time.
BCLC, in conjunction with existing software and gaming platform supplier OpenBet, will design and develop the new egaming site as well as provide testing services. The province of Manitoba currently offers retail lottery tickets and sports betting. In addition to casino and poker, sportsbetting and bingo may also be available when the site launches next year, a statement by OpenBet said.
Manitoba Lotteries, the province-owned corporation that owns and operates casinos in its capital Winnipeg, as well as the province’s Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) network, will operate the egaming offering, while the site will be regulated by the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission. OpenBet’s platform and products are currently used by BCLC, Loto Québec and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation and will service Manitoba from its office in Montreal.
Michael Graydon, President and CEO of BCLC, said: “We are creating a new revenue stream for BCLC by leveraging our experience and the expertise of our best-in-class vendors and providing these services to another jurisdiction.”
BCLC has provided regulated online gambling in British Columbia through the PlayNow.com website. It contracts GTECH G2 for online poker and OpenBet for online gambling and betting software.
In 2010, PlayNow.com became the first the first government-run online casino in North America offering sports betting, bingo and casino and lottery games. However a security breach in July that year led to 134 user accounts being compromised and 12 users being able to view other people’s personal information. Its subsequent shutdown “ before going live again a month later “ cost BCLC CA$150,000 a day, or CA$5m in total lost revenues.
David Loveday, CEO of OpenBet, added: “[This] further strengthens our position as the platform of choice in the Canadian provinces. Supporting BCLC in the launch of a fully integrated online gaming offering for the Province of Manitoba demonstrates the flexibility of our platform and our ability to work closely with our partners to ensure a successful offering.”