British Columbia Casinos | The Best Guide To Online Casinos In British Columbia

All About the History of Gambling in British Columbia

Canada and British Columbia have experienced a big transition in gambling throughout their history. There is evidence of gambling with bones centuries ago when Indigenous people played with bones from a deer or other animals to beat each other in Slahal, a game that’s still being played today! When the territory was claimed in the 1300s gambling was banned, and remained so for centuries. In the early 1900s, there was a small shift, whereby “collective bets” could be placed. In 1970, the government passed a law to allow each province to manage their own gambling laws.

1985 saw British Columbia open its own lottery and in 1997 the British Columbia government began to manage all its own slot machines. This led to the first destination casino in British Columbia in 1999, the riverboat casino, Royal City Star. in 2004 the land-based River Rock casino opened its doors.

All of this led to British Columbia issuing a license for its first online casino in 2010. Today, British Columbia enjoys 36 land-based casinos, all operating under the British Columbian Lottery Corporation. Today, the most popular casino games in British Columbia are Video Poker, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and slots

British Columbia Casino Licences and Regulations

In British Columbia, all gambling activities are conducted and operated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (British ColumbiaLC). Gambling activities are policed by the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch. In addition, the British Columbian government operates its own internet gambling site.

Interestingly, all gambling industry workers, service providers, and supplies must be registered or certified. This helps to ensure the principles and safety of gambling are kept to. Respected licenses to look for include Malta Gaming Authority and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

Gambling Revenue Distribution

Money generated by gambling activities in British Columbia goes back into the province. It is used to provide key services such as health care and education and supports economic development in local communities! In 2020, despite the temporary closure of British Columbia casinos in 2020, the industry was still able to invest $429.9 million.

Live Casinos British Columbia

Some of the most popular British Columbia live casino games are poker, baccarat, slots and blackjack. The live casino offers players a virtual live casino experience, from the comfort of their own homes, all the lights, sounds and atmosphere are to be found here. Players can communicate with dealers and other players as well. All of these games are live-streamed from studios around the world and are all in real-time. You will also find that they are fluent in English and often French.

There are a lot of live online casinos to choose from and the list can be a tad overwhelming! When making your choice, there are a few things you need to consider:

• Is the casino licensed? By making sure that your casino is licensed you can rest easy knowing that your information is protected and that all games are 100% fair.
• Does the casino offer helpful customer support? Look for a live chat section where you can speak to a representative or an email address.
• What bonuses does the casino offer? Different players like different bonuses. Check that the casino offers bonuses that you are interested in.
• Are the games you enjoy available to play? Make sure that the casino you’re considering has all of your favourite games so that you have a range of options you know will keep you entertained for hours.
• What payment options are available? Make sure that the casino offers payment methods that you are familiar and comfortable with.

Lottery Options in British Columbia

Canada has three national lottery games available to play and British Columbia runs seven provincial games. There are certainly many ways to enjoy playing the lottery here!

There are also opportunities to take part in other lotteries via online casinos. Various online casinos will give you the chance to win independent lottery games.

Popular Deposit Methods for British Columbia Casinos

There are many methods for depositing and withdrawing funds with online casinos. In British Columbia, most financial institutions are friendly to casino operators and payment methods are generally unrestricted.

Some of the ways you can deposit into an online casino:

• E-Wallets: PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, ApplePay
• Online Banking: Bank transfers
• Prepaid card: Paysafecard, Netspend card, Visa, Mastercard
• Debit/Credit Cards: Most major brands, including Mastercard, Visa and Maestro

Crypto Casinos available in British Columbia

With cryptocurrency becoming more advanced, more people are choosing to use it for funding their online gaming experiences. It has the advantages of advanced security and anonymity. Most online casinos accept cryptocurrency now and examples of crypto accepted include:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Stellar (XLM)
• Binance (BNB)

Before you make a deposit always ensure that the casino is licensed. Putting money into a casino without an online casino license puts not only your funds but your personal data at risk.

How Long Do Payouts Take With British Columbia Casinos?

It can be very frustrating to cash out that big win, only to find that the funds are not in your account to be spent when you want them! So, how long do casino payments take?

You can generally get an idea as to how long payments will take both from your own experience and the casino website. It is important to be familiar with the times involved before you even deposit funds.

It all depends on the payment method used. In our experience, cryptocurrency is the quickest. e-Wallets, such as Neteller and PayPal are also very quick as there is no need for personal data to be submitted. Our advice is to check with the casino.

Online security in British Columbia

Often we are so engrossed in the thrill of playing British Columbia Casinos that we forget to take precautions. Licensed online casinos enjoy some of the best online security around. Yet there are still risks out there.

When entering any online casino, always look for the following:

• The site address starts with HTTPS: and has the lock symbol next to it when entered on the address bar
• The casino license details are transparent on the site
• The third-party Agency Trust Seal is present
• Technical Security Seals are available.

The online casino site should clearly display its licensing and trust seals so that you can check and be satisfied with them.

Responsible Gambling Laws in British Columbia

Although gambling is a fun and sometimes profitable activity, it is important that you remain responsible when gambling.

If you feel that you need help or advice, the government provides British Columbians with free information and resources to support informed choices and healthy behaviours with respect to gambling participation.

www.bcresponsiblegambling.ca can help you with all your questions.