Canada’s BCLC Renews Intralot Deal To Drive Digital Transformation

British Columbia Lottery Corporation has renewed its agreement with Intralot Canada, a subsidiary of Bally’s Corporation, to accelerate the rollout of Shared Services across its operations.

The agreement extends an existing relationship and focuses on integrating core systems within a single framework. Intralot will provide operational and technical support while leading further system upgrades and digital deployments.

This move indicates a shift from traditional on-premise infrastructure for lotteries, which has limited scalability and slowed integration. Cloud-based systems allow faster updates, improved interoperability and better performance during peak demand, while reducing long-term costs.

Shared Services model reshapes operations

The Shared Services approach consolidates key functions across the organisation, removes duplication, and simplifies workflows.

Under the new structure, BCLC will operate on a centralised platform supporting multiple services across retail and digital channels, with disaster recovery processes in place. The cloud-based framework creates a base for additional products. So, online lottery platforms and sports betting can be integrated without rebuilding core infrastructure to satisfy customers. 

BCLC President and CEO, Pat Davis described the project as a step forward in the organisation’s digital transformation. He highlighted its role in building a more efficient and resilient operating model via a quote in Canadian Gaming Business. 

Long-term partnership supports digital transition

BCLC and Intralot have worked together since 2019, beginning with the replacement of the lottery’s legacy retail system. This partnership expanded in 2023 with a retail sports betting upgrade built on the Orion platform.

The lottery company adopted Intralot’s Lotos X Omni ecosystem two years ago, positioning BCLC among the early adopters of fully cloud-based systems. Plans to launch an online lottery platform and digitise land-based operations have followed.

Today, Intralot supports around 8,000 terminals across 3,400 retail locations in British Columbia. This scale underlines the platform’s role in managing retail and digital operations within the province.

Data, security and global trends shape next phase

The transition to cloud-based Shared Services enables greater use of real-time data. Operators can introduce personalised promotions, targeted recommendations and loyalty programmes based on player behaviour.

At the same time, the shift comes with increased risks. Hence, technologies like AI-driven fraud detection, biometric verification and blockchain-based transaction monitoring are essential to protect player data and maintain trust.

Other countries are also migrating to the Shared Services. In Poland, Totalizator Sportowy has migrated its iLottery platform to the cloud with support from IGT in 2023. In the United States, several lotteries are exploring Azure Arc migrations to replace ageing systems of two or three decades.

Operators are moving toward scalable, secure, and affordable systems while meeting strict regulatory requirements.

Intralot is driving digital transformation in the Canadian gambling industry with its cloud-based Shared Services. The company supports BCLC’s regulatory activities while providing opportunities to scale their features. So the regulator can monitor online and land-based gaming operations within its province.