Canada's BCLC testing new sports betting concept at bars and pubs

Right before Sunday’s Super Bowl, Canada's British Columbia Lottery Corporation  (BCLC) started piloting sports-betting concepts as of Friday at a dozen B.C. bars and pubs, as well as one casino. These are the first locations to introduce the PlayNow.com sportsbook after single-event sports betting was legalized last year in the country.

“This marks the first step in testing how PlayNow.com, B.C.’s local sportsbook, can be implemented at land-based locations,” Dan Beebe, BCLC Interim Chief Operating Officer, said in a press release Thursday. “This pilot will help BCLC to understand the preferences of sports bettors, and help inform future experiences and programs to help support safe, positive play.”

As part of the pilot, live sports-betting odds, information about PlayNow.com sports-betting promotions, and healthy-play tips are displayed across digital screens at the participating venues, where players with a registered account can also enjoy a $10 free-bet voucher for PlayNow.com sports betting by using their mobile device and scanning a QR code. 

We are proud to announce, that we are now an official BCLC betting location 📣 Launching tomorrow, for the Leafs versus Canucks game 🏒#socloseyoucanfeelit # SB #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/kwLTTlxIe0

— The Sportsbar LIVE! (@thesportsbar_ra) February 12, 2022

The 13 hospitality locations involved in the testing are:

• Fox and Hounds Pub (Kamloops)
• Jimy Mac’s Pub (Langley)
• John B Pub (Coquitlam)
• Woody’s Pub on Brunette (Coquitlam)
• Cat & Fiddle Pub (Port Coquitlam)
• Legends Pub (Richmond)
• Baselines Pub (Surrey)
• Brewster’s Pub (Surrey)
• Fox’s Reach Pub & Grill (Maple Ridge)
• Samz Neighbourhood Pub (Surrey)
• Highwayman Pub (Abbotsford)
• Chances Kelowna (Kelowna)
• Rogers Arena Sportsbar (Vancouver)

The move comes as the country readies to see the first results of single-event sports betting legislation, drawing increasing interest from international operators. Ontario has already announced it will launch online gaming and sports betting on April 4. Last week, PROLINE, the sports betting product of crown agency Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), has become the first official sportsbook partner of the NFL in Canada.