Are there any unique challenges and/or advantages to delivering charitable gaming in the Atlantic Provinces? 

Internet gaming and the age of social media has removed the boundaries that, not so long ago, separated Atlantic Canada from the rest of the world. With the expansion of cloud based gaming, players' options have increased dramatically driving fierce competition amongst multi levels of gaming providers. While some in the industry may identify this as a daunting challenge, others who thrive on change and innovation will embrace the opportunity to deliver a greater player experience.

With a population base of around 2.5 million, Atlantic Canada does not boast the buying power of other more densely populated regions of North America. From a critical mass perspective this certainly presents a challenge, however, with four similar but far from congruent provinces, each with their own identity, Atlantic Canada can be viewed more aptly as a microcosm of the North American charitable gaming market.

Lastly, I believe the single biggest downfall of charitable gaming is the lack of sizeable prize pools generating the level of attention and excitement that most other gaming products offer. Linking Atlantic Canadian revenue in a novel, technologically advanced, secure manner with full integrity and a rich player experience delivers on this fundamental requirement. The challenge and opportunity rests in the delivery of the gaming platform, via technology that allows for mass distribution with intelligent, localized customization.

How has the delivery of charitable gaming/ bingo changed or evolved over the last 10 years?

In the past 10 years, there have been countless iterations of the traditional bingo game; from a host of electronic bingo options, social media adaptations, Bingo at a sporting event to an actual bingo themed national television show. It should be noted that certain regions are far more advanced as it relates to novel bingo offerings and their respective breakdown of the age old stigma of the product line.

In the UK, for example, where the marketing of bingo and other gaming applications are far more overt and commonplace in the mainstream media, Bingo, through all its iterations, is as hot a commodity as any other gaming vehicle. Why is this? In a word: marketing. Marketing changes, augments, influences, and drives cultural responses and is most powerful when it is executed and refined in a truly bi-directional sense. I don’t believe that any single bingo advancement has been the game changer in the industry but I am very encouraged and optimistic about the industry when I see such innovative risk taking approaches to a product and industry that so desperately requires it.

How is the British Group meeting the needs of today's players? 

BGI’s competitive advantage is the symbiotic blending of traditional pull tab products with intelligent print capabilities and logistics, which, together, enable linked revenue, progressive prize pool opportunities and a holistic partner value model. Additional, incremental revenue streams are monetized via the digital media element of the overall platform (through advertising and partner programs), and the entire model is rooted in the overall player experience with integrity and security as the overarching governing principles.

BGI’s goal is to become the world’s leading supplier/provider of linked pull tab solutions - PlayLinxxTM - specializing in the supply of turnkey solutions for lottery and charitable gaming markets the world over. Vertically integrating every aspect of the business model/ gaming and entertainment platform, BGI is all about execution, performance, profitability, integrity, and social responsibility for all stakeholders.

This is a very exciting time for BGI. We do not view PlayLinxxTM as merely replacing existing equipment; rather we’ve embraced this gaming platform as an opportunity to rejuvenate and, in many ways, reinvent the pull tab market. We believe the pull tab market is at a crossroads. Failure to truly innovate and evolve runs the risk of significant market erosion; if not extinction. The entire player experience – as it is currently presented - simply will not compete against countless other readily available digital gaming options.

Fact is, we live in a digital world and the core product that we have traditionally offered, no longer fits within this now ever more pervasive, digital gaming space. However, there is far more than meets the eye with this traditional product line. Through the introduction of ground-breaking, variable imaging technologies amalgamated with traditional print paradigms, BGI has been able to re-invent a product line - and the fun has just begun. Enter the XL5, the new and exciting interactive gaming kiosk/dispenser as part of the PlayLinxxTM gaming platform; a true “category killer” in the pull tab segment of social/destination gaming and charitable gaming.

PlayLinxxTM will reverse the downward sales trend of pull tab tickets; both broaden the player base and re-engage lapsed player base by way of a unique, long term value based proposition; attract high value partners thereby driving incremental revenue and additional play value to the player; and truly partner with organizations deeply committed to the success of the pull tab line of business in a fundamental, invested manner. What's more, it will provide the option of a full, turn-key solution and rely on the partner to design, implement, execute and manage all aspects of the linked gaming platform; and do it all in a socially acceptable manner with security and integrity as the over-arching principles of any and all decisions.

From our corporate vision perspective, our primary focus has long been the production and marketing of breakopen tickets to the Lottery, Charitable Gaming and Promotional marketplaces. While we remain focused on our core line of business and continue to expand our product offerings and market penetration, we remain equally focused on developing complementary technologies that will supplement, augment and enhance our core business. BGI is continuously challenging conventional wisdom, staying fluid with an ever-evolving gaming marketplace and digital-savvy gaming buyer, to ensure our long term relevance in a marketplace that changes almost daily.

Founded in 1958 and incorporated in 1962, British Group (BG) is located in Mount Pearl, NL and has grown over the years with a core team of owners and managers with relevant experience in the Lottery and Charitable Gaming segments. BG holds Breakopen Lottery contracts in several Canadian Provinces, namely with Atlantic Lottery and British Columbia Lottery Corporation. In the charitable gaming arena, BG is active in Atlantic Canada, 10+ US States, and the UK.