Casinos in Canada Will Make Showing ID Mandatory to Enter - Newstbt.com

Beginning on June 26, patrons of casinos in British Columbia, Canada, may find themselves facing a more stringent entry process. The BC Lottery Corporation has declared that all guests to gaming sites in the province must present proper identification before being granted access to the casino floor.

It’s the familiar phrase that has become commonplace at casinos in BC following the BC Lottery Corporation’s announcement that mandatory ID checks will be in place across the province to enforce Responsible Gambling protocols. The BCLC had previously announced the initiative more than a month ago, and it officially launched this week. By taking an ID when patrons enter a casino – or any other regulated jurisdiction – it can be used to verify age or to collect winnings, complying with regulations that have been in place for quite some time. Recently, however, ID checks also have been used to support responsible gambling efforts.

No ID, No Service

The BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) is introducing a new program in line with its responsible gambling regulations, which are designed to protect players. Rather than relying on facial recognition systems to register people, the operator is using manual methods to identify customers. When people enter a gambling facility, they will be required to show their government-issued ID to security personnel. Their data will then be checked against a list of people banned from gaming. Among other measures, this includes a scan of the Game Break self-exclusion service. Since raising awareness of the changes in sanctions, the BCLC has been informing players about the new entry procedure and why it’s important in helping support players who require assistance. If an individual’s name is located on any of the said lists, they will be denied entry. BCLC has also stated that any data scanned for entry will not be stored.

In August of last year, Davis became the Chief Executive Officer of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). According to Davis, this could be the initial instance when an administrative or government governing body in North America, such as a state, province, or municipality, has mandated ID scrutiny. He accentuated the mission of the BCLC, that being “to have the most robust players in the world.” Those who have registered for the Game Break program are reportedly in favor of the new system. Throughout March, the BCLC expressed that many of their enrollees had approved of identification proofs as a way of permitting them to abide by their nonparticipation pledges. With this, it is evident that the BCLC is dedicated to Cleaning Up BC Gaming.

Cleaning Up BC Gaming

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) holds a monopoly on regulated gambling within the province, managing 36 casinos and gaming centers (run by various operators), and the provincial lottery. This entity also has control of sports betting and online gaming, with legal Online gambling and sports betting, and lottery tickets being available exclusively on the PlayNow.com website. This domination of the markets has brought with it many issues in the past, among the most prominent being the money laundering scandal related to the River Rock Casino which reached all the way up to high-level government members. A public inquiry led by Nova Scotia Judge Thomas B.C. Cullen was opened to investigate the scope of the issue, though no one was ever criminally charged. Positive changes were made to gambling practices following this, such as a heightened attention to anti-money laundering protocols.

The inquiry found that Anti-Money Laundering (AML) had been widely practiced in casinos from at least 2010 to 2016. As a response to this, in an effort to improve the BCLC’s reputation, Davis and additional executives were appointed. Additionally, the implementation of new identification controls is also a part of the same effort.