Bringing social purpose to life through casino games
The business world is loaded with buzzwords: AI, synergy, disruption, growth-hacking, CSR. Even social purpose.
But, for Chris So, manager of casino products at the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), social purpose isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the foundation that makes up his work, and on a larger scale, BCLC’s business.
For him, it’s table stakes.
BCLC officially became a social purpose company in 2021, when it declared that “generating win-wins for the greater good” is the enduring reason behind its existence. So was one of the company’s original Social Purpose Ambassadors: an early champion and advocate for social purpose at the company. In his regular work at BCLC, he’s responsible for the team that delivers the casino games and products to BCLC players.
“We buy the products our players enjoy and aim to get the best deal out of it with our negotiation. We’ve always wanted both BCLC and the vendor to walk away feeling good about the deal,” So says. “Social purpose helps us think beyond the dollars and cents, beyond what’s on the contract, to make the biggest impact for our players, our people and our partners.”
An example of this is found in So’s team’s approach to bingo. While it makes up a small portion of BCLC’s business, the crown corporation made the decision to continue offering the game because of what it provides to players – which is more than just the thrill of winning a jackpot.
“Anecdotally, player research validated our understanding that bingo fosters a sense of community. The game mechanics are unlike any other that we offer – it brings people together,” says So. “It was a real turning point for me to realize that BCLC isn’t in this business just to make money.”
Propelling player healthy and inclusivity
So was recently recognized by BCLC’s leadership for his success at bringing social purpose to life through BCLC’s casino products. This included the development and introduction of evaluation process for every casino game before it’s released to market – inclusive of a Player Health Assessment. This makes sure that the games BCLC offers are not perpetuating gambling myths, for example, by indicating a bet is “hot” or “cold” or by starting a countdown timer that might manipulate players to believe they have a limited amount of time to place their bet.
So took this process even further to ensure that BCLC games do not use imagery that can cause harm by objectifying women or perpetuating cultural stereotypes. He explains that the process they use to evaluate their games is proactively shared with vendors; when one of their products fails to meet BCLC’s guidelines, the team shares how and why the product was rejected with the supplier. As a result, So says that vendors in the industry know and understand where BCLC draws it’s line.
“We deliver about 400 games a year,” So says. “These are the ground rules by which we deliver games to the floor. And by doing this work, we’re sending a message to the vendor community, as well. We know that message we’ve shared over time has resonated.”
Working towards a win-win-win
So also recognizes that there can be a real tension between social purpose and revenue generation. Certainly, in the gambling industry, there is an understanding that the two are incongruent. However, So says companies should take the long view when it comes to the tangible benefits of social purpose.
“Is social purpose a revenue detractor? Or is it just who we are and where we’re going to stand our ground? We know that social purpose helps us recruit the right people with the same motivations and creates a great place to work,” says So. “We can see the win-win-win over the long term.”
For So, finding purpose in his work at BCLC might have required a shift in mindset, but it has provided a whole new sense of meaning and value to his output.
“I’m proud to be a part of this work. When it comes down to it, we should be proud of the games that are on our floors. And BCLC gets to say we are.”
