21 December 2011
Casino News: Paddy Power strikes lucky in British Columbia
Good news for Irish bookmaker Paddy Power. They have struck a deal with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, which means they will be able to provide services to the internet casino, commencing summer 2012. This comes as a decision of the provincial governments of Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario to provide online gambling services to their citizens.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation got off to a shaky start due to a hacking scandal a few days into its launch. However, it has been proactively making changes to its online casino division ever since.
The Irish bookmaker will be supplying risk management, product and pricing services to the corporation’s online sports wing. This deal is three years long, and is anticipated to generate further interest in the new British Columbia casino.
On the other side of the planet in Australia, the ventures of Paddy Power have proved profitable, despite it taking some time to hammer out the details. Paddy Power's chief executive officer, Patrick Kennedy, said about the arrangement, ‘We are delighted to be partnering with BCLC. They are our first lottery partner, and this is our first transaction in North America, a geography which will be of increasing strategic importance to us in the future. Today’s announcement is a further endorsement of our product and partnership capabilities. As the global online market continues to regulate, these qualities continue to position us strongly for future international expansion.”
Vice-President of eGaming at BCLC, Rhonda Garvey, says about the arrangement, “We are very excited about our partnership with Paddy Power and the opportunities it will bring to PlayNow.com. Paddy Power’s proven expertise and product integration with the PlayNow.com/OpenBet system is essential to providing our players with an unparalleled online sports betting experience.”
To claim the contract, Paddy Power went through the correct channels, and had to comply with the guidelines as set by the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch in British Columbia. It was they who authorised the deal for the British Columbia Lottery Corporation to provide sports betting in the territory.