OpenBet extends British Columbia Lottery partnership

Gaming News

12 January 2023

(PRESS RELEASE) -- OpenBet, a global leader in betting entertainment, strengthened its long-term partnership with British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) after the Lottery Operator delivered its PlayNow.com brand to the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA).PlayNow.com is now live in Saskatchewan with OpenBet’s omni-channel Player Account Management platform and market leading sports betting technology, which BCLC has combined with a wide range of third-party content delivering best-in-class gaming and sports betting experiences to players across the province.“Congratulations to SIGA and BCLC on bringing regulated sports betting and iGaming to Saskatchewan,” said Cathryn Lai, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenBet. “Now, players have an opportunity to enjoy best-in-class betting entertainment in a safe and secure environment through the renowned PlayNow brand.“We are enormously proud of our contribution to regulated gaming and betting in Canada and adding a fifth province to our ecosystem, alongside our activity in Atlantic Canada, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec, means more players will have access to the great experiences offered by BCLC on PlayNow. BCLC have been fundamental to our success in Canada and our collaboration on product and technology remains a blueprint for quality partnerships with operators. It's also great to welcome SIGA to the OpenBet family, and we are excited to start a new partnership with such an innovative operator.”The launch follows an agreement whereby BCLC provides SIGA with the province’s first legal, regulated, online sports betting and gaming platform. It offers safe and secure online gaming and betting entertainment for players, with OpenBet facilitating an array of safer gambling tools.“OpenBet’s unrivalled platform technology provides us with the confidence to take our PlayNow.com brand into provinces beyond British Colombia,” said Dan Beebe, COO at BCLC. “We have enjoyed significant growth in Manitoba in recent years, and believe we are well positioned to enjoy similar success in Saskatchewan with a similar model.OpenBet’s partnership with BCLC has set a standard for betting and gaming for World Lottery Association (WLA) members, with the full suite of OpenBet’s platform, technology and services driving growth that has consistently outperformed the black market.

“When introducing the first legal online sports betting and gaming platform in Saskatchewan, we wanted to work alongside a technology partner that was highly experienced in operating within regulated markets,” said Zane Hansen, President and CEO at SIGA. “OpenBet’s platform, through BCLC’s Play Now brand, was the perfect choice given their track-record of success with WLA partners and their commitment to player health and responsible gaming.”