Canada BC Self Exclusion Initiative – Government ID Checks at All Casinos

Canada BC self exclusion program will require all casino entrants to show a form of government ID to prevent self-excluded players entering! (Photo by Kylie Anderson on Unsplash)

In Canada’s British Columbia, we are seeing a constant shift in the way the province implements rules and regulations.

The Ontario iGaming province has led by example. Plus, there are numerous groups and networks connecting the various online gambling regulatory authorities, so information sharing leads to new ideas and fresh ways to improve each gambling zone.

One of those key shared elements is responsible gambling, which amounts to player protection. For the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) its self-exclusion program is the target with the latest headlines reporting that the authority plans to implement a more stringent self-exclusion initiative.

Already available in online casinos, the rule is set to extend to land-based casinos. This also extends to players that feel that they need a break from frequent visits to brick-and-mortar gambling venues.

As with most countries that have the same rules in effect, this would require player identification. The BCLC plans to make it a requirement for casinos and other gambling zones to ask for a government ID and run it through a database. If a player has self-excluded from any venue in the province, then the casino must refuse entry.

Merkur Recents Battle with Self-Exclusion: In recent news, a system failure meant a gambler who later complained that Merkur permitted entry after self-exclusion on multiple occasions. It was a system failure, but it still resulted in a hefty fine. BCLC plans to use a similar system.

The New British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) Self-Exclusion System

Firstly, self-exclusion is available at online casinos holding BCLC licensing. The system works online, but the government would like to enhance how gambling venues in the land-based sphere handle self-excluded players.

The government plans to mandate the presentation of government-issued identification from all casino visitors upon entry. This step aims to enhance the efficacy of the self-exclusion scheme and foster responsible gambling.

The new rule will see security staff at the casinos scanning IDs provided by visitors. These IDs will then be cross-referenced with a list of participants in the Game Break self-exclusion program. The government has highlighted that no personal data will be stored by the system for those who are granted entry.

When will the rules come into effect? The introduction of this measure is scheduled for the summer. The BCLC will announce a firm date and the specific details will follow in the next few weeks. For now, the regulatory authority is simply making its plans publicly known.

Scope of the Initiative

The Game Break program aims to aid individuals struggling with gambling issues by allowing them to self-exclude from gambling facilities and online platforms for a set duration. This is a system available online and in land-based venues but is not fully operational so far as there are still some leaks, which are now in the process of being plugged.

In retail venues, whereby players turn up physically to play live, carrying identification for age and identity verification is already necessary for most circumstances. The new self-exclusion initiative aims to take advantage of the need to produce ID by specifically targeting the provincial self-exclusion program.

Additional benefits: By providing ID, the system will also help to enhance identifying individuals who are banned or restricted from entering the casinos.

What is the Game Break Program Versus GamStop

If you have heard of GamStop, then Game Break is Canada’s version. GameStop holds access to a database of gamblers who have self-excluded either from online casino real money gambling or at a land-based venue. The register tracks that person’s name, and so if he or she feels tempted to play online or at a high street/retail venue in the UK, the system will flag the person’s name.

Game Break is evolving into the same style of system. To date, the BCLC has registered 10,818 Game Break enrolments and re-enrolments in the past year. Additionally, every fiscal quarter, the corporation has noted between 964 and 1,177 self-exclusion violations. However, with more efficiency applied to the system, the province plans to stop these violations from occurring.

Participants of the Game Break program reportedly find identification checks to be an effective enforcement mechanism for their decision to avoid casino entry.