PlayNow.com is the premier online lottery website for residents of Canada’s British Columbia and Manitoba provinces. Launched in 2004, PlayNow is owned and operated by the BCLC (British Columbia Lottery Corporation). All funds generated are invested back into the community of British Columbia to benefit the residents. The site is only available in English and to residents of the two aforementioned provinces. In this PlayNow.com review, we will delve into the many great things that the site offers to players, as well as weigh what its pros and cons are.
How Does PlayNow Work?
Using PlayNow is a simple and enjoyable experience. Users are required to register an online player account before they can make use of the services available. Once this has been done using the online registration portal to submit your basic information, access to the full site becomes available, and you may select your preferred lottery and purchase tickets.
Due to the fact that the owners of the site also run the lotteries offered, tickets purchased online represent actual tickets in the lottery and are seen as physical tickets purchased. Once tickets are purchased, users are free to sit back and relax until the time of the draw to see if they are winners.
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Is PlayNow.com a Scam or Legit?
PlayNow is operated under the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Since this entity is governmentally controlled, it is operated under strict laws and guidelines. This leaves very little wriggle room for anything that is not 100% legit. Add to this that the site has been successfully operating since 2004, offers many ways to contact them if there is a problem, and holds a solid online reputation, we feel that it is deserving of our trust.
User Experience
PlayNow boasts a striking and straightforward website design that is appealing to look at. The site loads quickly and moves seamlessly between PC and mobile devices to ensure that you are never left without the ability to purchase your tickets.
The only possible negative is that the site seems very busy in terms of menus and navigation, with the footer alone having a whopping 53 links. This does not, however, detract from the positives of the site design, as it is still relatively easy to navigate around once you become accustomed to the design.
While there is no dedicated Android or iPhone app, there is a version of the website that is highly optimized for smartphones and other portable devices. While we tend to prefer standalone apps because of the extra features, fancier graphics and animations, and notifications that they provide, the PlayNow mobile experience was still surprisingly good and satisfying during the few hours that we played around on it.
Lotteries Available
Being an official lottery site operated by an official Canadian lottery operator, there are no international lotteries such as US Powerball and Mega Millions available on PlayNow. Instead, users are given the option to participate in the following regional and national Canadian lotteries:
- Lotto Max
- Lotto 6/49
- BC/49
- Daily Grand
These lotteries are all owned and operated by the BCLC.
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PlayNow.com Features
Additional features to the standard lottery options are where PlayNow really exceeds expectations. There are a wide variety of other features to enjoy on the site. These include:
Keno
PlayNow offers and online Keno game where users can try their luck in draws that occur every 3.5 minutes. The game is played online and offers players the chance to participate in a ‘Keno Bonus,’ which applies a randomly selected multiplier to any win.
Instant Win Games
There are 18 instant-win games available to play. These include bonus games and instant-win prizes to ensure that players are kept entertained the entire time that they choose to play.
Casino/Live Casino
PlayNow’s casinos are sure to keep players entertained for hours on end. Offering favourite casino games such as roulette and blackjack, players have even more chances to win with these fun online games. And for those who want some social interaction while playing, the Live Casino allows play alongside other players in real time.
Sport Betting
For sports enthusiasts, PlayNow offers betting on popular sporting events in an extensive range of categories from hockey to golf.
Poker
PlayNow offers an innovative poker game that users can download and install on their PC. It provides 68 tables for players to choose from and allows users to compete in real time against other players who are also online.
Bingo
For fans of bingo, PlayNow offers a superb bingo game available 24/7 via the website. It allows users the chance to try their luck and enjoy a relaxing game of bingo whenever they would like.
Payment/Withdrawal Options
Deposits to your online player account can be made using the following methods:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Interac Online
- Online Bill Payment
- Web Cash*
*Web cash is a unique offering that allows users to purchase a physical deposit card from a range of selected retailers and redeem the deposit card online to deposit funds directly into their PlayNow account.
Withdrawals are made promptly with the stated timeframe being three business days. For all winnings under $100,000.00, deposits will be made directly into your bank account via wire transfer. For winnings over the $100,000.00 limit, winnings are paid by cheque, which will be sent to the home address you provided.
One thing to note is that players are not allowed to have more than $9,999.99 in their account at any one time. If your account goes over this limit and is not brought down within 72 hours, a withdrawal instruction will automatically be issued, and the funds will be withdrawn. Also, for any winnings over $1,000.00, players will be required to provide their occupation to PlayNow due to regulation. They may also be required to verify themselves by submitting proof of identity and physical address.
How to Claim Your Winnings
PayNow makes claiming winnings a breeze. All winnings are claimed automatically and are paid directly into your online player account.
Customer Support
PayNow offers a host of customer support options. These include:
- Live chat
- Comprehensive FAQ section
- Telephone support using 1-877-706-6789 (available between 7:00 am and midnight PST)
- Online contact form
- Head office contact details (74 West Seymour Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 1E2)
- Marketing and sales office contact details (2940 Virtual Way, Vancouver, BC V5M 0A6)
Welcome Bonus and Other Promotions
PlayNow offers a wide range of changing promotions that can be viewed on their site by visiting their ‘Promotions’ page.
At the time of writing this review, the welcome bonuses available included:
- $20 Casino Sign Up Bonus
- $50 Sports Matched Bet
- $20 Live Casino Sign Up Bonus
Rules and Regulations
PlayNow is strictly limited to users who are residents of British Columbia or Manitoba. This is heavily enforced by IP tracking to ensure that users are logging in from within these boundaries. There is also a minimum age of 19 to be able to register a player account and make use of the site.
PlayNow.com Review – Conclusion
If you live in British Columbia or Manitoba, then PlayNow.com is a great place to participate in some of Canada’s best local and national lotteries as well as try out a myriad of great online betting and gambling features. With a great website, exciting promotions, and a wide variety of games to choose from, PlayNow should keep you entertained for hours. It also does not hurt to know that the money earned is funnelled back into the British Columbia community. For all these reasons, we definitely give PlayNow.com a huge thumbs up.
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That being said, if you don’t live in either of these two provinces—or do but are bored of only playing Canadian lotteries—then check out our list of the best lottery sites. Many of them will allow you play both Canadian and international lotteries, such as Powerball, EuroMillions, and Italy MillionDAY, regardless of where you live.