British Columbia online gambling to go mobile?

The first Canadian province to offer online gambling, British Columbia, now has plans to expand operations into the mobile and tablet online market, according to a report this week in the publication BC Local.

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) is responsible for operating the province’s internet gambling, launched just on a year ago on the PlayNow.com website, and management is seriously considering an expansion into the popular mobile and tablet channels.

A recent survey asked the 170 000 PlayNow.com customers if they would use their mobile devices to play lotteries, poker, casino games and sports betting if these were offered, although a corporation spokesman emphasised that no decision has yet been taken on the expansion.

The outcome of the survey is not presently known.

Online gambling still represents only one percent of the corporation’s revenues, but that’s expected to grow to four percent by 2014. The bulk of BCLC’s more than $1 billion annual profit comes from conventional [land] lotteries and casinos.