The British Columbia Lottery Corporation is further supporting people who have enrolled on the Game Break self-exclusion programme by enhancing identification requirements at all casinos in the Canadian province.
Game Break is the BCLC’s voluntary and confidential programme that provides individuals with the opportunity to take a break from gambling for a period of time. Users can also self-exclude themselves from BC gambling facilities and/or the province’s only online gambling website, PlayNow.com.
The new enhancements are part of the BCLC’s goal of having “the healthiest players in the world through evidence-based, player-health programs focused on positive outcomes”.
With an official implementation date to be announced in the coming weeks, every individual who wishes to enter a BC casino will have to present a government-issued photo ID before being allowed in.
The ID will be scanned by security staff to automatically check if an individual is allowed to enter. This is done by checking the identification against a database of individuals who are restricted from entering gambling facilities, which include people enrolled with Game Break.
Information from individuals who are permitted to enter the casino will not be stored. The BCLC noted that third-party reviews of Game Break showed that participants believe ID checks at gambling facilities “will best support their choice by not being able to gain entry”.