The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), Great Canadian Gaming, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment and the Canadian Gaming Association are among 16 organisations that have been given official standing in British Columbia’s money laundering public inquiry. 

Government department, the Gaming and Policy Enforcement branch is also included on the list.

The inquiry, called by Premier John Horgan in May, aims to identify how money laundering has become widespread in the province’s casino and luxury car sectors and seek ways of preventing it in future.  

In a statement outlining the full list of participating organisations, Senior Commission Counsel Brock Martland said: “This is who is allowed formal status at the hearings which will give them a number of rights to participate through opening and closing arguments, examining witnesses, putting forward evidence and information to assist in this inquiry.” 

He added: “The idea is to give people in different parts of the province the opportunity to stand forward and express what they identify as being issues of real concern to them, things they would like us to focus on or address in our process.”

The groups with official standing, working with the commission, will attempt to develop procedures as well as a rule book and identify the scope of issues that need specific focus. The hearings are tentatively scheduled to take place throughout 2020.