Online in BC

Online play in BC, briefly

In British Columbia, PlayNow.com, run by BCLC, is the only legal online gambling site. The guide's home page holds three paid links with the Ad mark, sending readers to an online casino under private ownership; what that means is set out on this page.

By the Glyph WorkshopChecked October 7, 2026

The rules in B.C.

The minimum age to gamble in B.C. is 19. It applies to casinos, lottery tickets, online gambling and charitable events. People under 19 may not enter gambling venues.

Among online gambling sites, B.C. allows only PlayNow.com, which BCLC runs. The Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) named PlayNow.com on August 28, 2026 as the only regulated commercial online gambling website BC permits. It added that all other online gambling websites that let BC players in operate illegally in the province. The IGCO has regulated all gambling in BC since April 13, 2026.

Alberta opened a regulated private online gambling market in mid-July 2026, the second province after Ontario. No such market has been announced in BC.

Questions about the marks

Is PlayNow behind the paid links on this site?

PlayNow is not behind them. These paid links point to an online casino that is privately owned. The province neither operates nor licenses that casino, and BCLC and the IGCO have no tie to it.

Does Game Break cover private online casinos?

A Game Break agreement covers entering and playing at BC gaming facilities and playing on PlayNow.com. Private online casinos, including the one behind this site's paid links, are outside it.