Offshore Gambling Operators Gain Ground as BCLC Faces Rising Competition

British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) faces increasing competition from offshore gambling operators. Even though the BCLC has been a dominant force in Canada's well-regulated market, international competitors are expanding their influence despite growing regulations. These offshore online operators offer players a broader range of games, better bonuses, and more flexible payment options, making them more attractive to players.

A significant reason why this shift has seen this level of success is because of the ease of accessibility. Canadian players can find these gambling sites online and play from anywhere in the world. They also operate with fewer restrictions than local sites that are heavily regulated. The ease of access makes it very appealing to players. Additionally, many of them will ensure privacy and security through VPN usage. They offer excellent customer support, including helpful guides which explain how to gamble with a VPN for a secure and seamless gaming experience.

Traditional brick-and-mortar casinos are the blueprint from which online casinos were built, and they will always be relevant to the gambling industry. However, recent and constantly evolving innovations in technology have made online casinos a preferred choice for many players.

The BCLC is not taking this lightly. It has intensified efforts to address the growing competition from offshore gambling operators and nearby US casinos. In March 2025, it launched a campaign called 'What's played here stays here.' The point is to create awareness about how much revenue local gambling generates and ensure that all profits generated within a province stay in the province and go toward developing and maintaining local services such as education, healthcare, and community programs.

The president and CEO of the BCLC, Pat Davis, has highlighted the importance of supporting local gambling options, stating that British Columbians can access world-class gambling experiences right there within their province.

Another campaign was launched by One Twenty-Three West, which showed offshore casino owners benefiting and enjoying themselves at the expense of local players who choose to patronise them and not their own.

The BCLC is also raising awareness about deceptive and illegal online casinos and scams that imitate legitimate and licensed casinos while tricking individuals into providing their financial information on fraudulent websites.

By encouraging the citizens of British Columbia to support and patronise local regulated gambling options, they hope to revive their waning local gambling industry.

While some of these concerns are valid, the fact remains that many offshore online casinos are licensed in certain regions by reputable authorities such as the Malta Gaming Authority. The regulatory body even allows users to verify if an online casino is legally registered and complies with its regulations through a licensee register. Rather than trying to block offshore casinos completely, some industry experts argue that the BCLC updates its rules to accommodate more competition.

As long as the benefits of using a VPN continue to improve Canadians' gaming experience, players will continue to patronise offshore casinos, and competition will only get stiffer for local traditional businesses.