The BC Lottery Corporation in British Columbia, Canada announced it will enter into a $250,000 agreement with Vancouver and Shanghai-based company Archiact Interactive “with respect to the development of virtual reality for the purposes of gaming.” BCLC officials said Archiact Interactive would develop a virtual reality game in which players must solve challenges in order to escape from a room.
Last year, BCLC held a “hackathon” to study virtual reality applications allowing players to bet real money. However, the games won’t be available for some time, BCLC spokesperson Lara Gerrits said. “Further development, testing and approvals from our regulator, the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, are required. Additionally, the Gaming Control Act stipulates that the minister responsible must provide written approval for new games or lottery schemes before they go into operation,” she stated.
BCLC’s annual report indicated lottery revenue fell by $23 million in 2017 compared to 2016. But eGaming revenue increased $22 million to $150 million in the same time period, more than double the total four years ago.
Still, according to Dr. Stephane Bouchard, a Canada Research Chair in clinical cyberpsychology, virtual reality games can lead to gambling addiction. “It’s amazing how real virtual reality is to a gambling addict,” Bouchard said.
He noted in a casino, trained personnel can detect a person in distress, but no one can help a lone gambler accessing the virtual casino from home. “In a virtual casino you can’t be on those lists. No one is there to see you are not well. You can drink and get drunk and get on drugs and still play in your home. Definitely there is a need to provide a frame and better support for what is going on in these situations,” Bouchard said.
