Online in BC
Online casinos in British Columbia
Online, British Columbia has one legal gambling site, PlayNow.com, run by BCLC for the provincial government. This page sets out the rules that apply and where this site's paid link stands against them.
By the Backup BenchChecked October 8, 2026
The rule in BC
In British Columbia, the provincial government has to run gambling for it to be legal. On behalf of the government, BCLC manages every form of commercial gambling, from casinos to online gambling. Online, that narrows things to one site: PlayNow.com, which BCLC runs, is the province's single legal site for online gambling.
The Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) has regulated all gambling in BC since April 13, 2026. The same day, BC's Gaming Control Act took effect. In a statement dated August 28, 2026, the IGCO said no regulated commercial online gambling website other than PlayNow.com is permitted to operate in BC. Any other online gambling website that accepts BC players, it added, is operating illegally in the province. Its advice to the public is to play only on PlayNow.com.
Gambling of any kind in BC, online included, is for people 19 or older.
Other provinces
In mid-July 2026, Alberta launched a regulated market for private online gambling. It was the second province to do so, after Ontario. No such market has been announced in BC.
In June 2026 the IGCO announced plans to seek changes to the Gaming Control Act. The goal is to cut how much unregulated online gambling operators are present in BC and the impacts they have there.
This site's paid link
Outside the home page, this site has no paid links; each one there bears an Ad label, and all point to one shared online casino partner. The partner in question is a privately run online casino. PlayNow it is not; the province neither runs nor licenses it, and it has no link to BCLC, the IGCO or any casino covered here. This site is paid a commission for those links, and the partner itself may be replaced.
Playing there leaves a BC resident without any provincial protection: PlayNow limits have no effect, and the IGCO cannot take complaints. Game Break covers BC gaming facilities and PlayNow.com, but not other online sites, so the partner site falls outside it.
Questions
Which online casino site is legal in BC?
In British Columbia, the one legal online gambling site is PlayNow.com, operated by BCLC.
Does a Game Break agreement cover the partner site?
No, it does not. A Game Break agreement applies to BC gaming facilities, both entering and playing there, and to play on PlayNow.com. Other online sites, the partner behind this site's Ad links included, are not covered.
Does this site take bets?
No, it is a guide that works independently. It runs no casino, accepts no wagers and opens no accounts.