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      You are here >   Playing it safe: player and game protection BCLC
        
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      Playing it safe: A look at player and game protection on BCLC’s PlayNow.com
      By Rob Kroeker
      May 25, 2016


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      Enhancing player and game protection on BCLC's PlayNow.comWith emerging technology and changing consumer habits, the online gaming industry is in a constant state of evolution. This means we need to monitor the risks of new developments in online and social gambling, ensure our operating systems and programming are effective, and that our players are protected in this ever-changing environment.

      Since joining the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) as Vice President of Security and Compliance in September 2015, I have learned many things about the inner workings of this organization and, perhaps more importantly, its values. In addition to building public trust through good corporate citizenship and taking our social responsibilities seriously throughout every part of our business, the integrity of our games and the protection of our players are of the utmost importance to BCLC.

      Opportunities for growth

      BCLC has offered regulated online gambling since 2004 to players in British Columbia through PlayNow.com. A lot has changed in 12 years, and we know we must remain vigilant in keeping up with online trends, risks and prospects for fraudulent activity. eGaming currently represents approximately two per cent of BCLC’s net income and provides multiple strategic growth opportunities for the organization, including the ability to offer players gaming experiences across multiple channels.

      BCLC has seen success with all of its products and continues to enhance its offerings to provide greater value to our players. Part of that success has been offering a full product portfolio consisting of traditional lottery games as well as sports, poker, bingo, and casino products. But behind the scenes, a key part of that success is due to the fact that BCLC also has strong controls in place to help mitigate problem gambling. On PlayNow.com players can clearly see how long they’ve played and how much they’ve wagered; there is a player pre-set deposit limit with a 24-hour hold on increase requests; and ready access to GameSense information and problem gambling resources.

       

      Maintaining quality assurance

      The PlayNow.com platform and games are thoroughly tested by BCLC's highly trained Quality Assurance team, by our numerous industry-leading software vendors, and by third-party Accredited Testing Facilities, with considerable experience in international gaming jurisdictions. PlayNow.com is held to the TGS-5 technical standard, which is administered by our regulator, the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) of British Columbia.

      TGS-5 is a highly detailed and rigorous standard, covering all critical aspects of game play and system operation. Furthermore, in regard to online gaming, GPEB is a sophisticated and involved regulator. It plays a key role in the certification of all important software changes, updates and game launches on PlayNow.com.

      BCLC works closely with GPEB to build a compliance framework that meets the needs of all stakeholders, ultimately reinforcing the integrity of gaming in British Columbia and partner provinces. BCLC and GPEB recently agreed on an augmented process for the validation of game configuration and help/rules screen content prior to launch. This is a key element of the compliance lifecycle for new games, since these configurable elements can potentially be set one way or another without impacting the signatures/digital checksums of the games.

      Control challenges

      One of the major hurdles that we face with online gaming is the uncontrolled environment of the Internet. While our PlayNow.com software is built by industry-leading developers, and thoroughly tested to minimize risks, we're still left with little control over the end-user's choice of computer, operating system, and web browser. It is difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate every possible combination of hardware and software on the player's side, not to mention the myriad of configuration settings available to each user. Every possible combination of player device can potentially result in a slightly different game play experience; sometimes with unintended results.  

      While these are the same challenges faced by all eCommerce organizations, the difference for BCLC is that we are a Crown corporation. Our commitment to our players is more than just a business decision or about corporate image, it is a strict requirement enforced by regulation. Maintaining compliance with the TGS-5 standard requires an ongoing commitment, particularly with so many variables at play that are effectively outside of BCLC's control. For example, every time a new Microsoft, Apple or Android OS version is released, it triggers a fresh wave of testing on software that was previously demonstrated to be error-free. BCLC and developer resources must always be on the ready to build new software fixes and augmentations at a moment's notice.

      Preventing and detecting fraud

      This environment can make investigating player-raised issues particularly challenging. BCLC takes every player inquiry or complaint seriously, particularly where the player has raised a concern about the integrity of the games or transactions. However, until a thorough investigation has been conducted by trained resources, it is impossible to conclude whether any given issue was caused by a fault in the PlayNow.com software, a corruption in the player's installed web browser or supporting software, or merely the result of user error or misunderstanding. While many of our off-shore competitors may have no obligation or be willing to address game integrity issues, it is incumbent on BCLC as a Crown corporation to fully investigate and respond to all integrity issues in an open and transparent fashion.

      While the vast majority of our players are honest, we still have to keep an eye out for fraudsters attempting to exploit PlayNow.com for gain. Some will try to register player accounts using false identities and stolen credit cards, requiring our anti-fraud team to monitor transactions and account registrations. While our team has a wide range of tools and methodologies at their disposal, the challenge becomes staying ahead of the curve. As fraudsters learn our controls, they modify their strategies accordingly so as to circumvent those controls. It requires ongoing vigilance. For example, they may make use of special network tools and websites to obscure the true origin of their Internet connection, requiring us to evolve our methods.

      Digital forensics required

      Another challenge with fraudsters is their propensity to use doctored screenshots as a vehicle to raise baseless claims about game or transaction faults. This approach specifically targets BCLC's commitment to our player and to the integrity of our games. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but those words might not necessarily be the truth. Digital forensics must be used on any suspect screenshot, in order to confirm the validity of the image. Often, the truth can only be found through a combination of software analysis and good old-fashioned human interview techniques. Many end up exposing their own scam by betraying a vital piece of information to our team of investigators.

      BCLC's stance remains that identity and credit card fraud are not victimless crimes. As such, we help support efforts by the RCMP and local police to catch those who harm our businesses and directly impact the lives of Canadians. The suite of controls implemented by BCLC aims to protect our regulated PlayNow.com website from fraud, which in turn protects players and the public from identity and credit card fraud.

      We invest in a great amount of technology, time, and expertise to help ensure we meet the ever-changing expectations and challenges of egaming, while making great strides to stay ahead of the curve in order to remain safe, secure, competitive and relevant. These are the standards players expect when they play on a regulated gaming site in Canada.


      About the author:

      As the Vice-President of Corporate Security and Compliance, Rob Kroeker leads the development and implementation of corporate security and compliance policies and procedures for BCLC, its players and private sector service providers. He is responsible for all aspects of security, compliance, legal services, privacy and Freedom of Information administration. Rob currently serves as President of the Gaming Security Professionals of Canada and sits on the Board of Governors for the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

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