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Online Play Rules Beyond Treasure Cove
An evening at Treasure Cove Casino & Bingo is one thing, with a door, a floor and staff who check your ID. A screen at home is another, and British Columbia has its own rules for that, summed up below.
By the Snowbound localsChecked October 14, 2026
Online in BC
One Site for BC Players
The province must run gambling for it to be legal in British Columbia. BCLC does that job, in casinos such as Treasure Cove and on the internet. Online, that means PlayNow.com, BCLC's own site; BC players are not permitted to use any other online gambling site.
The age rule matches the casino door. You need to be 19 or older for any gambling in BC, in a casino or online. Nobody younger may be in a gambling venue at all.
Online in BC
BC's Gambling Regulator
BC's gambling regulator since April 13, 2026 has been the IGCO, short for Independent Gambling Control Office, which took over from the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch. The IGCO also runs Gambling Support BC, the province's free help line, reachable 24/7 at 1-888-795-6111.
Online in BC
Self-Exclusion and Screens
Game Break is BCLC's self-exclusion, chosen for 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or 3 years. Once picked, the length cannot be changed. One agreement bars you from BC gaming facilities, Treasure Cove included, and from PlayNow.com. The reach stops there, though. Private online casinos sit outside it, so Game Break does nothing to keep you off them.
Online in BC
How Snowbound Gets Paid
Paid links marked Ad appear on Snowbound, but only on the home page. They show up in three places: the header button, a strip under the first tool and a box close to the end. Each of them points to a single private online casino business, which may change and which pays Snowbound a commission.
That site is not PlayNow, and British Columbia neither runs nor allows it. BCLC, the IGCO, Treasure Cove and Prestige Treasure Cove Resort have nothing to do with it. A BC player there has none of the province's protections, so PlayNow limits and Game Break do not reach it. Links to the casino, the hotel, government pages and help lines earn Snowbound nothing.
Questions
Quick answers by the fire
Does the casino on Highway 97 have an online site of its own?
BC's online gambling site is PlayNow.com, run by BCLC. No other online gambling site is permitted for players in the province.
Which office regulates gambling in BC these days?
The Independent Gambling Control Office, or IGCO, has done that since April 13, 2026. It took over from the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch.
Will Game Break follow you onto a private gambling site?
No, Game Break covers BC gaming facilities and PlayNow.com, and private sites are outside its reach. On such a site, a BC player has none of the province's protections. Gambling Support BC answers 24/7 at 1-888-795-6111 if you want to talk it through.