British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and Intralot are extending their lottery collaboration.

Intralot announced on Nov. 4 that its U.S. subsidiary is working with BCLC for the provision of an online lottery platform. The new iLottery solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem.

The joint project also includes the digitalization of BCLC and Intralot’s existing land-based network.

Earlier in 2024, Intralot and BCLC undertook a project to migrate the lottery corporation’s retail lottery system to Intralot’s Lotos X Omni ecosystem, which is delivered through cloud technology. The transition was completed in June. A BCLC spokesperson told CGB this week that the new project is an additional application in the back end for that new lottery system, an update for iLottery and the crown corporation’s lottery mobile app.

The new lottery project with BCLC this year expanded Intralot’s reach in North America, providing the company with access to lottery terminals throughout BCLC’s retail network and at select hospitality establishments in the province. Intralot has installed its lottery-focused technology in roughly 8,000 terminals across 3,400 retail locations in B.C., offering advanced features and improved technology as well as an upgraded user interface.

It also made BCLC one of the first lotteries in the world to integrate a fully cloud-based system.

Meanwhile, the overarching partnership between BCLC and Intralot has been extended until 2028. Intralot also delivers its sports betting platform, Intralot Orion, to enable the crown corporation to offer retail wagering.

Year of change for BCLC

BCLC has embarked upon a comprehensive modernization drive in 2024, part of what its president and CEO Pat Davis calls “a journey of digital convergence.” Davis told SBC earlier this year that the crown corp. aims to “revolutionize gambling entertainment” with its five-year strategy that stretches from retail to online.

Working with advisory firm SCCG Management, that journey has encompassed some big operational shifts; not only the Intralot projects but also the launch of a new AI and Data Innovation Hub in collaboration with tech firm Future Anthem that aims to facilitate greater technological advancement and personalization of its offerings.

BCLC has also overhauled its retail sports betting product to tie it more closely with its online operations. The new PROLINE sportsbook digitizes the retail betting experience by allowing in-person bettors to generate bet slips on their phone or other device, similar to most commercial online sportsbooks. BCLC’s Brett Hanson told CGB in September that BCLC will soon be the first Canadian lottery to offer in-play retail betting, and that the crown corp. also plans to ultimately combine the Play Now online casino gaming app and the PROLINE sportsbook “all in one shop.”