Players from Saskatchewan will soon finally get access to online gambling. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) signed a vendor agreement with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). The CEO and president at SIGA, Zane Hansen, expressed his hope the online gaming platform will be launched by October, just in time for the Grey Cup in November.
SIGA is set to be the official operator of the new online gaming portal, as per the operating deal signed with SaskGaming.
Great Leap Forward
Hansen described the agreement as a great step forward and added how no other First Nation in Canada got the opportunity to be engaged in reaching this important milestone. They also hope the online gambling platform will help generate all sorts of benefits for First Nations.
According to their words, the PlayNow platform is very competitive and will be integrated with the existing casino business. That way, SIGA will offer a higher level of gambling entertainment to its customers.
The platform will accept players who are older than 19 years of age. Hansen said that the platform will be equipped with tools that not only verify players’ age but also their location. The turn-key online gaming portal will be powered by BCLC. BCLC already provides gambling services on the PlayNow platform in Manitoba. However, the interface will be customized to fit the needs of the Saskatchewan market.
Safe Gaming Imperative
SIGA has chosen BCLC after an extensive request for proposals process. According to the agreement, BCLC will provide both a desktop site and a mobile gaming app. One of the main focuses of the interface will be keeping the players safe. There will be certain tools that limit the time players spend playing games, as well as financial limits.
In addition to ever-popular tools, the interface will have customer support with highly educated agents. Hansen explained that the so-called “game sense advisors” have all undergone special training. Not only can they provide additional information regarding the payment process or how to start a game, but they also inform players about the risks attached to unreasonable gaming. Advisors can also provide information on self-exclusion and help players activate it.
The Future of Gaming in Saskatchewan
The idea of online gaming in Saskatchewan popped up after the agreement between the province and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in the autumn of 2021. The agreement's main goal was to further strengthen partnerships in the sector.
SaskGaming president and CEO Susan Flett hopes online gaming will be a breath of fresh air to the industry. They also hope it will be a useful addition to land-based SaskGaming and SIGA casinos. At the same time, Hansen sees the advent of gaming in sports betting. They hope the sports wagering industry will account for a large percentage of the total activity on the site that has yet to see the light of the day.
In the end, Hansen concluded that even though sports teams won’t directly benefit from online gaming, they will experience a much higher exposure than before.
