Telecommunications provider iTel Networks will provide internet to Canadian provincial lottery operator British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s (BCLC) retail partners through a new partnership.
This is designed to help partners in remote and rural areas of British Columbia sell lottery products, by providing remote network services to retailers.
iTel secured the three-year contract after the BCLC launched public procurement process that included a request for proposal covering province-wide internet services.
“Given the breadth of our network, iTel checked off all the boxes we had on our list,” BCLC vice president of business technology and chief information officer Pat Davis explained.
“Its unique ability to support our remote network requirements provided an efficient solution to meet our business needs. We’re pleased to work with an organization that shares our support for expanding the local tech business.”
iTel chief executive Danny Rink added: “I am excited that we have built iTel over the last 12 years to be an organization that can support the vast and robust network needs of an enterprise organization like BCLC.
“By doing so, iTel can continue to invest in the community and help further grow the Kamloops tech sector.”
The deal comes after the BCLC last week announced a series of changes to its executive structure, in support of the organization’s new corporate strategic plan.
The plan seeks to enhance the player experience for BCLC’s customers, and grow the business responsibly using agile people and processes.
In support of the plan, BCLC has centralized its lottery, casino and igaming departments into a single operational division. It has also consolidated all marketing functions and business intelligence into another division dedicated to “social purpose and player experience”.
Last month, the BCLC and media business theScore also both declared their support for single-event sports betting in Canada.
Canada’s Criminal Code, under paragraph 207(4)(b), currently only permits bets on at least three games or more, meaning that a wager on a single match or event is illegal.
However, Conservative Member of Parliament Kevin Waugh aims to change this with C-218, also known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, which had its first reading in the House of Commons in February. The bill looks to repeal paragraph 207(4)(b) of the Criminal Code to permit single-event betting.