A landmark day for BC gamblers is on the horizon.
Starting tomorrow (Friday), single-event sports betting will be available on Playnow.com.
Previously, bettors were unable to wager on the winner of a single game and were forced to place a secondary wager on a different outcome.
Matt Lee with the BC Lottery Corporation told Vista Radio the streamlined option will keep more gambling revenue in the province.
“Over the last five years, we estimate that we have lost 250-million dollars in additional gambling revenue to unregulated gambling websites that have been illegally offering single-event sports betting up to this point. This is a substantial financial opportunity for us.”
“I can’t understate this enough, this really is a landmark moment for BCLC and our players. Single-event sports betting and bets on racing and fighting is something that our players have asked for on PlayNow.com for many years.”
BCLC believes single-event sports betting would generate an estimated 125 to 175 million dollars.
While the initial offering will be made available online, for now, Lee mentioned additional opportunities for single-event wagering at lottery retailers, casinos, community gaming centers, and restaurants are being examined.
“That’s all on the table for us in terms of single-event sports betting and how to best implement it. I can tell you that those conversations with our partners are already underway and we are hoping to have more to say over the next couple of months. You can expect that by 2022 we will have more of the opportunties shape up and come to fruition.”
In the 2020/21 fiscal year, Playnow.com generated a record-breaking $252 million to the Province of B.C.