PUTTING THE PLAYER FIRST
by Jim Lightbody

On May 29, 2007 the world changed - at least for those of us in the lottery entertainment business it did. 

That day, BC’s Ombudsman, Kim Carter, released her report on the lottery system. Although she pointed to a number of things BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) was doing right, what captured most people’s attention is what we could do better. BCLC accepted all of the Ombudsman’s recommendations and immediately developed its implementation plan.

The catalyst for the BC Ombudsman’s investigation was a high profile case in Ontario, where it was alleged a lottery retailer defrauded a player out of a large prize. Immediately, the integrity of lottery retailers across the country came under scrutiny. Were retailers stealing from unsuspecting players right here in BC? Was BCLC doing enough to stop it? 

For some time, BCLC has been working to reinvent the lottery business with a focus on socially responsible and innovative new games, marketing, and technology. Recently we have begun to place even more emphasis on players’ security through the introduction of enhanced policies and procedures for ticket validation, prize claims, and customer support. We have tightened our security policies and put new security demands on our business partners. Together with our business partners we are managing the many changes to how we operate, and we will continue to improve as we learn and move forward together.

“Player First” is a company-wide initiative that puts player protection at the forefront of the lottery business. BCLC has developed a number of new systems to help its business partners offer lottery products within the highest standards for customer service. While the Player First program poses numerous challenges, its success is critical to enable the lottery business to regain the trust of the public and move forward.

As part of the process, BCLC is seeking to redefine its partnership with the hospitality industry. To date, the discussion has been how commissions made on lottery games compare (or don’t) to those for food and beverage. Those comparisons are natural and the argument is understandable. The challenge for the lottery business is delivering reasonable returns for our business partners’ service investment, while striving for significant revenue to the province for the benefit of British Columbians. Our business model differs from food and beverage in that we don’t require any significant capital investment to provide our “product” (entertainment) to customers. So, maybe this comparison is based on a false pretense: are lottery games similar in nature to food and beverage, or should lottery games be compared to other forms of entertainment offered in the hospitality industry, like cable TV or live bands that enhance customer experience? 

Comparisons aside, one issue we cannot avoid is that the hospitality industry is challenged by the current tight and transitory labour market. While BCLC expects lottery retailers to provide the highest standards of service, we are also offering expanded training opportunities and providing more self-service technology that will allow players to purchase and validate their own tickets. This will free up valued employee time and help meet many of BCLC’s expectations for improved player confidence and trust in our games. 

A key strategic business driver for the lottery business is new games. We stay committed to creating and offering new games, including new ways to play current games. Gaming is a highly regulated business that requires considerable lead-time to introduce new games to market. The long development timeline also provides for stringent testing for fairness and for compliance with regulations. The hospitality industry has great potential for the introduction of more social gaming that draws customers to fun environments to play entertaining games, and maybe win some money. By creating new reasons for people to spend time together in social situations, we can all achieve our goals - for our partners, our players, and our province.

By supplying entertaining, easy to deliver, gaming entertainment with enhanced player protection, BCLC will fulfill its commitment to the public and re-establish its relationship with its partners. The lottery industry is changing, and we are working with our business partners to become a leader in the gaming industry for the benefit of British Columbians. 

If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact your sales representative or Jim Lightbody at jlightbody@bclc.com.