Three Year Deal for BCLC and iTel

Aiming to support its retail partners located in remote and rural areas of the province, BCLC has signed an agreement with iTel Networks (iTel). The three-year contract for Province-wide services has been awarded to the largest network aggregator in Canada following a public procurement process that included an August 2019 Request for Proposal.

According to the deal cut by BCLC, which also operates a top-notch live casino, and iTel, Kamloops’ two largest technology companies, the latter will provide fast and secure Internet connection essential for BCLC’s business partners that sell lottery products in remote and rural parts of British Columbia.

Commenting on the new partnership, Pat Davis, Vice President of Business Technology and Chief Information Officer at BCLC said:

“Given the breadth of our network, iTel checked off all the boxes we had on our list. Its unique ability to support our remote network requirements provided an efficient solution to meet our business needs. We’re pleased to work with an organization that shares our support for expanding the local tech business.”

Danny Rink, CEO at iTel Network added:

“Having lived in Kamloops for most of my life, I am deeply invested in this community both personally and professionally.

„I am excited that we have built iTel over the last 12 years to be an organization that can support the vast and robust network needs of an enterprise organization like BCLC, and by doing so, iTel can continue to invest in the community and help further grow the Kamloops tech sector.”

Both companies are not only deeply ingrained in the city’s technology sector but they also support the Kamloops Innovation Centre (KIC), a non-profit society that serves the Central Interior region of BC, offering affordable programs that guide, coach and mentor entrepreneurs.

This technology start-up accelerator…

…was founded in 2012 with the help of Danny Rink and BCLC has since created an on-site Innovation Lab in partnership with KIC, with the noble goal to support local tech talent.

“Diversification into technology for B.C.’s regional economies requires the active participation of its large technology employers. iTel Networks and BCLC have proven themselves to be those catalysts in our community,” explained Dr. Lincoln Smith, executive director, KIC.

“Both of these corporate leaders are directly and indirectly helping to create the ecosystem in Kamloops where new technology-enabled businesses can start up and thrive.”

BCLC has been helping communities grow since 1985 and thanks to lottery players, over $23 billion ($1.4 billion last year only) generated by gambling activities went back into health care, education, and various community programs across B.C.

Source: “BCLC Contracts with iTel to Support Lottery Network Services“. BCLC. July 2, 2020.