British Columbia Lottery Corporation has recently agreed to make its intellectual property Ruyi Baccarat™ available to land-based casinos across North America. The game will be supplied by the global gaming leader Light & Wonder which will deliver the commission-free title to its partners throughout the continent making it accessible to new audiences of players.
BCLC is a company that provides various forms of gambling, including lotteries, casinos, sports betting, and online gambling. It aims to generate income to support the people of British Columbia. Since 1985, the Crown has contributed over Ca$28 billion in net income to the province, which is used to fund community initiatives, provincial programs, and services.
Launching the Game for North American Casinos
As per the terms of the latest agreement between BCLC and Light & Wonder, the Crown’s commission-free Ruyi Baccarat™ will be made available to casinos throughout North America. The Crown agency debuted the title at British Columbia gaming amenities in early 2020 and to this day it continues to gain popularity available on both tables and electronic gaming devices.
Dan Beebe, BCLC’s Chief Operating Officer said that providing a made-in-house table game to a licensee is a nice change of pace and a testament to the corporation’s plan for expansion in the industry. He elaborated that the company is always looking into innovation and challenging the status quo, and is confident that the game will reap huge success through Light & Wonder.
Mike McKiski, Senior Vice President of Global Table Gaming, Light & Wonder noted that the game puts together time-honoured cultural tradition from the origins of baccarat with a more non-commission approach to elevate player experience. He stated the partnership with BCLC to distribute the title, reinforces the provider’s commitment to delivering the best games from the industry.
Currently, Ruyi Baccarat is available for playing at 14 British Columbia casinos, and there are plans to launch the game online on the Crown’s iGaming platform, PlayNow. The game will be made accessible to the supplier’s network of partners and players starting from September 9, 2023. This is due to the fact that it still needs regulatory approvals.
Recent Moves by BCLC
In July, BCLC enhanced its iGaming offerings on PlayNow via a collaboration with the leading supplier of iCasino content, Evolution. According to the latest agreement between the two parties, Evolution has debuted two high-limit live casino tables for online players in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The two new games are the popular VIP Blackjack and VIP Baccarat.
July 2023 also saw the launch of BCLC’s JAWS Scratch & Win instant ticket inspired by the iconic blockbuster directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws and it arrived in collaboration with Pollard Banknote. Tickets cost CA$5 and the new ambitious ticket generated more than CA$1.6 million in sales for its first three weeks.
Source: “BCLC’s Popular Ruyi Baccarat Coming Soon to North American Casinos” BCLC, August 17, 2023
