PlayNow.com Regulatory Approvals Complete

VANCOUVER, Aug. 19 /CNW/ - Today BCLC will re-launch its online gaming website - PlayNow.com - after receiving certification and approval from the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) and the Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC).

BCLC shut down PlayNow.com on July 15 after a data crossover impacted 134 player accounts.  Of these, 12 accounts had a measure of personal information viewed by another player. Once off-line, BCLC notified GPEB and, given privacy concerns, the OIPC.  BCLC also notified all impacted players to address any privacy concerns and reconcile accounts.

Between July 15 and 20, BCLC located the root cause - a default configuration setting designed and packaged by the server software provider created a vulnerability within the server environment allowing the incorrect assignment of user information.  This issue, in combination with website performance issues and the server handling of traffic loads, caused the data crossover. Once the root cause was determined, technical experts quickly identified and thoroughly tested a solution that successfully prevented the data crossover.

On July 27, a rigorous four-part external review and regulatory approval process was initiated, which included:

1. An independent review and confirmation of the root cause and the technical solution by Deloitte, overseen by GPEB working in cooperation with OIPC.
2. Third-party testing by Technical Systems Testing (TST), a technical testing facility for eGaming, overseen by GPEB. 
3. Regulatory review and re-certification by GPEB.
4. Analysis of Deloitte independent review and confirmation of satisfactory resolution by OIPC.

With the external review and regulatory approval process complete, BCLC will bring PlayNow.com back online today.  Deloitte will continue their work on a second phase of the independent review to assess BCLC's IT general controls, focusing on policies and procedures used to implement PlayNow.com casino games and an audit of BCLC's information systems security.  This work will be overseen by GPEB in cooperation with OIPC.

PlayNow.com account inquiries can be made to BCLC Consumer Services at 1-866-815-0222, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

BCLC President and CEO Michael Graydon will be available later today at 3:30pm PT via media conference call to answer questions.  Call-in details are as follows:

Media conference number:   Conference ID Number:       Suggested call-in time:

1-888-241-0394 94224746 3:20 PM PT

BCLC is a provincial Crown Corporation that offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income that benefits all British Columbians.

For further information:

Media contact:
BCLC Public Affairs
[phone]
[email protected]