BCLC
Video Gaming and Day Trading Speakers Available to chat with Media at BCLC’s New Horizons in Responsible Gambling

Video games and Esports – is it Gambling?
Dr. Brett Abarbanel, Director of Research at the International Gaming Institute at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
From social casino games to Esports to virtual reality and in-game payments, many familiar activities blend the two concepts of gambling and gaming.
Loot boxes, for instance: are they harmless video game fun, or offering gambling to minors? A worldwide regulatory debate is underway assessing the permissibility of video-game loot boxes; as recently as November, 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, which will look at the question of whether loot boxes constitute a form of gambling in this jurisdiction.
As part of the BCLC’s Ninth Annual New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference, Dr. Brett Abarbanel, Director of Research at the International Gaming Institute at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will look at the definition of gambling: there are so many examples in the gambling and gaming space where the idea of gambling is present – but is it truly gambling and if so/if not, does that matter to those who play, industry and regulators?
Dr. Abarbanel is available for media interviews leading up to and during New Horizons. Please let me know if you’d like to set up an interview with her.
The Rise of Pandemic Day Trading; Is a Tsunami of Day Trading Risk Ahead?
Dr. Sharon Collard, University of Bristol
The pandemic has had countless impacts on our daily lives and for some this change has translated into more time and money spent on “self-directed investing,” also known as day trading. Is there awareness of the level of financial risk involved in day trading, and the similarities between the addictive behaviours of problem gambling and those that can arise with excessive day-trading?
Trading and investment service providers, such as TD Ameritrade, have reported that “2020 brought an unprecedented influx of retail investors,” with record-setting numbers of new accounts created.
Other events, such as the January GameStop price volatility and the online trading platform Robinhood, as well as other short-squeeze campaigns, reveal an increased level of influence in online investor communities.
As part of the BCLC’s Ninth Annual New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference, Dr. Sharon Collard, Research Director at the Personal Finance Research Centre, University of Bristol, will examine the overlap between gambling and day trading, and impacts on individual-level financial risk at a session titled: Retail “Investing” – Is a Tsunami of Day Trading Risk Coming?
Dr. Collard is available for media interviews before and during the conference, please let me know if you’d like to set one up.
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BCLC
BCLC Celebrates its 40th Anniversary With New Scratch & Win that Lets Winners Give Back

BCLC has launched a Scratch & Win ticket that is a win-win for both the Top Prize winner and their registered B.C. charity of choice.
The Greater Good Giveaway ticket offers a Top Prize of $10,000 for the winner and $10,000 for their registered charity of choice, selected from a list of British Columbia charities on CanadaHelps.
Thomas D’Cruz from Richmond is the first Top Prize winner for Greater Good Giveaway. D’Cruz selected the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation to receive the $10,000 charity prize, sharing that he “wanted to help children.” The winning ticket was purchased at Walmart on Alderbridge Way in Richmond.
There are over 12,000 registered B.C. charities on CanadaHelps for Top Prize winners to select from that support a variety of different causes, including arts and culture, education, social services and more.
“At BCLC, we believe that when we share the wins, we feel more connected to each other, our communities and our province,” says Natasha Questel, BCLC Chief Social Purpose Officer and Vice President of Marketing. “Our players have shared that they are interested in different types of prizing that go beyond a dollar amount, so as we celebrate our 40th anniversary we’re thrilled to launch the Greater Good Giveaway – a ticket that allows our players the chance to support causes that resonate deeply with them, and aligns strongly with our social purpose – to generate win-wins for the greater good.”
Greater Good Giveaway tickets are $2 each and are available for purchase at lottery retailers across the province. For full details on the Greater Good Giveaway ticket, including how to play, please visit our website.
In 2024, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $137 million in winnings from Scratch & Win.
Since 1985, BCLC has delivered more than $29 billion to the provincial government to support communities, provincial programs and services, charities and major events that have helped shape B.C.
The post BCLC Celebrates its 40th Anniversary With New Scratch & Win that Lets Winners Give Back appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
BCLC
Surrey Resident Wins Record-Breaking $80-Million Lotto Max Jackpot

Justin Simporios is normally a sound sleeper who “can fall asleep anywhere” – but he had a very sleepless night, after learning he won an $80-million Lotto Max jackpot from the May 9, 2025 draw. This is the largest lottery jackpot ever won in B.C. and is also the largest jackpot ever won by a single individual in Canada.
“It was 10:30 p.m.,” recalled Simporios of the moment he realized he won. “I saw that someone won $80 million in Surrey. I was joking and told my wife ‘we’re millionaires!’ and she told me to stop making that joke. After, I manually checked each number before scanning [using the BCLC Lotto! I cried and shouted, ‘we’re millionaires!’”
The Surrey resident woke up his wife to share the news. “She was in complete disbelief and a bit mad at me because our daughter wasn’t feeling well.” Simporios’ wife luckily agreed this was a good reason to wake her.
While still in disbelief about his win, Simporios is ultimately most excited to share his windfall with his family. “I want to help my family and my wife’s family. I’ll pay off my sister’s medical school debt and help my mom retire early – just giving my family a head start in life.”
Giving back to the community in Surrey and B.C. is also a key priority for Simporios. “I’ve struggled before and needed help. Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can. This feels like a dream.”
As an avid LA Lakers fan, Simporios mentioned he would like to see LeBron James play before James retires. He also plans to visit his family in the Philippines for a family reunion. “My wife and kid have never visited!”
On how it feels to win a record-breaking jackpot?
“The biggest change will be having more time with my wife and family. We want to live with a purpose – to help the community around us.”
Simporios purchased the winning ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City on King George Boulevard in Surrey.
So far in 2025, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $101 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST).
Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices. Learn more about the BCLC Lotto!
BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits.
The post Surrey Resident Wins Record-Breaking $80-Million Lotto Max Jackpot appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
BCLC
BCLC Launches “What’s played here stays here” Campaign

BCLC’s new “What’s played here stays here” campaign is issuing an important reminder to British Columbians who choose to gamble – specifically that all net profit its operations generate stays in B.C. to help fund critical services like education, health care and community programs.
The campaign also reinforces that all other gambling websites operating in B.C. are illegal and take away funds from critical community programs and services.
“Across B.C. and Canada, we’ve seen incredible groundswell around the importance of buying and supporting local, and that’s no different for British Columbians who choose gambling for their entertainment. We want our B.C. players to know they can find a world-class gambling experience in their own backyard, whether it’s at one of our 33 casinos, 3,400 lottery retailers, or online at PlayNow.com, and that the proceeds from their play with BCLC make a positive impact at home in their community,” Pat Davis, President and CEO of BCLC, said.
Along with illegal online gambling websites, BCLC also competes with Washington State and Las Vegas casinos, all of which aggressively market to B.C. residents.
“BCLC continues to raise awareness that these gambling options do not support B.C.’s economy and take away funds from vital provincial and community-based programs and services. In a time when British Columbians are standing united, we want to reinforce that playing together with BCLC helps make B.C. even better,” Pat Davis added.
The post BCLC Launches “What’s played here stays here” Campaign appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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