The British Columbia Lottery Corporation announced Tuesday it will require all casino visitors to show government-issued photo identification upon entry.
The government-sanctioned corporation (BCLC) claims the new policy is aimed at supporting its self-exclusion program.
Upon entry a person will need to provide their ID, which will be scanned and checked against the corporation’s database that includes not just self-excluded players but those who are banned or restricted from entering.
“The system will not store any personal information for those who are permitted to enter the casino,” stated BCLC, which will announce a launch date in the “coming weeks.”
“Comprehensive third-party reviews of BCLC’s self-exclusion program show that participants believe identification checks at gambling facilities will best support their choice by not being able to gain entry,” added BCLC.
Government-issued ID will include: any North American driver's licence; the BC Identity Card; any passport, including foreign ones; permanent resident card; Canadian identity card and Indian status card.
The corporation runs the Game Break program, which allows individuals to ban themselves from all gambling facilities, including casinos, community gaming centres, race tracks, bingo halls, online gambling or a combination thereof. A person may choose a ban between six months and three years and needs to apply for reinstatement once the term is complete.
The policy will only apply to casinos and gambling centres.
As of May 1, BCLC has had 10,818 Game Break enrolments and re-enrolments over the past year. Each fiscal quarter the corporation logged between 964 and 1,177 self-exclusion infractions.
The corporation rebounded in the fiscal year to 2022 with total revenues of $2.36 billion and $1.31 billion in net income, following a profit of just $430 million in 2021. In 2019, the last full year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the corporation netted $1.42 billion.
Editor's note: This article was updated on the publication date with new information.
