Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority Signs with BC Lotto Corporation

Who Can Access the Platform?

This platform will be available to Saskatchewan residents who are at least 19 years old, and there will be technological provisions in place to confirm your age. 

"This is a great step forward. There's no other First Nations organization in Canada that has had the opportunity to get engaged," SIGA president and CEO Zane Hansen said in a news release. 

The expectation is that the launch will be ready for October.

“We're really going to make the most of it and generate a lot of returns ... and the benefits go back to our beneficiaries, our First Nations and the provincial government," Hansen said. 

Agreement Reached Last Fall

In September 2021, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations agreed with the province's government to bring online gaming to it. 

SIGA also picked BCLC to develop the site and mobile app, and its Play Now platform will be customized for the Saskatchewan market. As of now, BCLC provides this service to Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. 

One of the key factors that led to choosing BCLC, according to Hansen, was its focus on positive player health, such as limits of playing time and total money spent. 

Additionally, the platform includes human “game sense advisors,” who are trained to offer necessary resources through a live chat. BCLC says on its website that its advisors are trained to help people understand the risk of gambling, inform you about self-exclusionary measures, and more. 

"They're there to discuss anything that players feel they would like to talk about to get more information on," Hansen said.

Benefit to Sports Betting

Hansen expects single-player sports betting to account for a more significant percentage when looking at the platform. While the sports teams will not see a direct monetary benefit, the ability to wager will bring more exposure to the teams and sports.

"It creates is a much more active and engaged player base ... because people will watch more often and, just as importantly, they will watch longer," Hansen said. "All the sports betting companies have to pay the leagues for data, which then gets distributed down to the teams.”

SIGA will be the official operator of this online gaming platform, as per an agreement made with SaskGaming. 

"Online Gaming will modernize the gaming industry in the province and will complement the casino entertainment options available at land-based SaskGaming and SIGA casinos," Susan Flett, SaskGaming president and CEO, said in a news release earlier this week.