Online in BC
Online casino rules in BC
Casino of the Rockies, on Mission Road outside Cranbrook, is a land-based casino at St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino. Online play in British Columbia runs under its own rules, set out here by the Kootenay Valley desk.
By the Kootenay Valley deskChecked October 11, 2026
The rules
The rules in BC
PlayNow.com is run by BCLC and is the province's own online gambling site. It is also the only legal online gambling site in British Columbia. Since April 13, 2026, the Independent Gambling Control Office, or IGCO, has been the provincial gambling regulator. The IGCO says every other online gambling site that lets BC players in operates illegally in the province.
The legal age for gambling in British Columbia is 19. That rule covers casinos, including the floor on Mission Road, and gambling of any kind in the province. At Casino of the Rockies, guests show government-issued photo ID at every visit, and it is checked against the list of people barred from gambling facilities.
Protection
What does not carry over
A private online casino sits outside the provincial system. A BC resident who plays on one has none of the provincial protections. PlayNow limits and Game Break do not apply there, and complaints cannot go to the IGCO.
Game Break, BCLC's voluntary self-exclusion program, runs for a term of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or 3 years. Once chosen, the term cannot be changed. A self-exclusion from BC gambling facilities, Casino of the Rockies among them, also covers PlayNow.com for the same period. It does not cover private online sites.
This guide
How this guide is paid
Cranbrook Casino Valley Notes is an independent guide, not a casino, and it takes no bets. Paid links appear on the home page only, and each is marked Ad. There are three: a button in the menu, a block just below the first screen and a block near the end of the page.
All three lead to one private online casino partner, which pays the guide a commission. It is not PlayNow.com and is not run or licensed by the province. It has no connection with BCLC, the IGCO, the Ktunaxa Nation, St. Eugene or Casino of the Rockies. The partner can change and is not named on any page.
FAQ
Short answers
Which online casino site is legal in BC?
PlayNow.com, run by BCLC, is the only legal online gambling site in British Columbia. The IGCO says every other online gambling site that lets BC players in operates illegally in the province.
How old must a player be?
The legal age for gambling in British Columbia is 19. Casino of the Rockies admits guests aged 19 or older with government-issued photo ID.
Does Game Break cover private online sites?
Game Break does not cover them. PlayNow limits do not apply there either, and complaints cannot go to the IGCO.
Why does the home page carry Ad links?
The guide is paid a commission by one private online casino partner. Its three links appear on the home page only, each marked Ad, and the partner is not named.
Further along the valley
- Help and methodHelp, and how this guide worksGambling help for Cranbrook readers: Gambling Support BC at 1-888-795-6111, Game Break, GameSense at the casino, and how the guide checks facts.
- Hours and the floorCasino of the Rockies hours and floorHours and floor of the casino at St. Eugene near Cranbrook: 11 am to 11 pm or 1 am, 210 slots, electronic tables and a sportsbook lounge.
- A night at the resortStaying the night at St. EugeneA night at the casino resort near Cranbrook: 125 rooms, check-in 4 pm, check-out 11 am, a heated pool, pet-friendly rooms and golf April to October.