The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and UK-based gambling data science specialist Future Anthem have united to create an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Innovation Hub, with a view to collaborating on improving BCLC’s player experience through tech and data capabilities.

The new hub will be located within BCLC’s Vancouver office and will utilize a purpose-built team, working under the supervision of a joint steering committee comprised of senior representatives from both organizations. The team of data and product professionals will have access to Future Anthem’s data science platform.

The hub will focus on the development of AI, data capabilities and programs designed to improve the player experience across all of BCLC’s gambling platforms, including lottery, online casino and iGaming and sports betting. It will create and cultivate highly specialized, Vancouver-based AI technology jobs utilizing Future Anthem’s strong experience in building teams focused on AI research and development, complemented by a small team of BCLC employees with skills and experience in this area.

“BCLC is excited to be partnering with Future Anthem to create the first AI innovation hub in B.C. focused on the gambling industry,”  said BCLC’s Chief Information Officer Mark Goldberg. “We know that the key components of the Hub will be its data-driven research and software product development to support player engagement and experience, safer play and improved game design – core BCLC business areas.”

“This dynamic partnership combines our expertise, reach, and technologies and allows us to harness AI for good to bring true and measurable benefits to players in a responsible, sustainable and enjoyable manner,” added Future Anthem founder and CEO Leigh Nissim. “With access to more data across all verticals and channels to build amazing machine learning models and AI applications, I am confident this collaboration will quickly deliver benefits to BCLC and its players to reinforce its lead position within lotteries globally.”

Future Anthem’s real-time AI platform will be used locally to employ best practices for AI product development and governance within the hub, including protocols to ensure transparency of AI use, data security and management of AI models and their player impact.

The company’s all-in-one real-time personalization product Amplifier AI and its Audience Identified extension are already used in the Canadian market by Blueprint Gaming to generate personalized audiences for jackpot games. Blueprint, which is licensed to develop and supply games in Ontario, is the litmus test for the extension of the Audience Identifier tool in the online casino market.

BCLC undergoing year of modernization

It’s no exaggeration to say that BCLC is undertaking a year of sweeping reform as it looks to modernize its operations and player experience on all fronts.

The lottery enlisted SCCG Management this spring to use the advisory firm to review its operations. Since then, BCLC has announced numerous noteworthy moves.

In June, it announced it had migrated its entire retail lottery system to Intralot’s LotosX Omni ecosystem, making BCLC one of the first lotteries in the world to integrate a fully cloud-based lottery system. The revamp, installed in around 3,400 retail locations across B.C., provides BCLC players with advanced features, improved technology and an upgraded user interface.

Then, just last week, BCLC finally replaced its old retail sportsbook, Sports Action, which it shut down in May after 33 years. On Sept. 4, BCLC officially unveiled PROLINE, its new digitized retail sports betting solution and sports betting app.

In July, BCLC CEO Pat Davis told SBC that the lottery corp. is on a path toward modernization and personalization that it believes will “revolutionize gambling entertainment.”

The new AI and Data Innovation Hub with Future Anthem is the latest step in the lottery corp’s modernization plans. Canadian Gaming Business will have a deeper dive on the new hub soon.