Exclusive: Younger Casino Bettors Are Upping the Ante on Risky Gambling in British Columbia, Documents Show
Ipsos reports obtained by The Bureau reveal a surge in high-risk behaviour among young casino and PlayNow users.
By Stanley Tromp
VANCOUVER — Younger casino players in British Columbia are significantly increasing high-risk gambling behaviours, while “gambling literacy” has declined over the past year, according to data from the province’s gaming provider, the BC Lottery Corporation.
This and other concerns were outlined in the Player Health Tracker Report by Ipsos Research, completed in July 2024 and commissioned by BCLC. The Bureau obtained six reports totaling 903 pages through a Freedom of Information request. The findings point to an alarming rise in high-risk gambling among younger bettors in the second quarter of fiscal 2024/2025—raising fresh questions for BCLC, an agency previously criticized for prioritizing revenue over social responsibility.
“Younger players are known to display more high-risk behaviours, believe more strongly in gambling myths, and play more games, especially high-risk ones,” the report said.
To address this, Ipsos recommended that “BCLC could consider targeting younger casino players in its campaigns geared toward casino players, with messaging related to increasing gambling literacy and promoting safer gaming.”
The concerning trend comes under the watch of Premier David Eby. In 2018, when Eby served as B.C.’s Attorney General, he told CBC that his government should be doing much more to help gambling addicts.
Eby also pointed out that his NDP government had moved responsibility for the gaming industry from Finance to the Attorney General’s office in 2017, because “the B.C. Lottery Corporation should not be responsible for both revenue generation and regulation.” That decision was later reversed, with oversight returning to the Finance Ministry.
In a warning back in 2020, an internal briefing note from the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety highlighted the “rapidly changing” online betting market as a source of mounting risks.
The note said more people were gambling “in an environment that may not have appropriate responsible gambling and integrity controls, that may allow minors to gamble, and that may carry an increased risk for fraud and money laundering.”
The new survey results were based on 498 interviews with adults in British Columbia who had played at least one BCLC game in the past year. Three of the reports track changes in gambling behaviours from the first to the third quarter of fiscal year 2024/25—that is, from April to December 2024.
PlayNow.com is BCLC’s internet gambling platform, featuring online table games, slots, and sports betting. It was launched in 2004 and later expanded to other western provinces.
In the first quarter (April–June 2024), “PGSI behaviours increased significantly among PlayNow players,” according to the Ipsos report. (The Problem Gambling Severity Index, or PGSI, is a nine-item self-report scale measuring risky gambling behaviours in the general population.)
The highest-risk PlayNow users were identified as young urban males—“the least likely to feel responsible for what happens to them.” Their gambling motivations include “feeling tense and wanting to be in the zone,” factors not observed in other segments. They were also found to be the least likely to engage in responsible play, despite recognizing risks in their own behaviour.
In the second quarter (July–September 2024), PlayNow players’ high-risk PGSI scores trended upward, while gambling literacy declined. Ipsos warned: “Given that PlayNow players remain a more at-risk group, BCLC could focus on reinforcing gambling literacy and safer gambling behaviours.” It advised close monitoring to identify whether preventative actions were needed.
In the third quarter (October–December 2024), Ipsos observed a tentative improvement: “High-risk PGSI has declined significantly among PlayNow players, although the shift should be interpreted with caution due to lower base sizes… high gambling literacy has rebounded.”
Overall, Ipsos found that online players demonstrated stronger belief in gambling myths and more problematic behaviours than retail players. Their pre-commitment habits—such as setting spending limits—and overall gambling literacy were weaker by comparison.
Sports betting remained a distinct concern. “Given that online sports bettors continue to be a higher-risk group,” Ipsos wrote, “BCLC could benefit from maintaining targeted initiatives that tackle the specific challenges of sports betting and promote safer gambling practices, especially during major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, March Madness, and the NHL and NBA play-offs in the coming months.”
Casino players were a more at-risk group in the first quarter. In the second quarter, there was a significant drop in gambling literacy among this segment. But by the third quarter, Ipsos reported some improvements: “Casino players display some improvement in high-risk PGSI, high pre-commitment, and high gambling literacy this quarter.” Ipsos attributed this to a higher proportion of casual casino players compared to moderate or high-frequency players.
The public was also surveyed on which casinos or gaming community centres they had visited in the past 12 months. River Rock Casino in Richmond was the most reported location, with 27% of respondents naming it. This was followed by Vancouver’s Parq Casino (24%), Burnaby’s Grand Villa Casino (23%), and Coquitlam’s Hard Rock Casino (20%). Other B.C. casinos saw significantly lower visitation numbers.