Handout/ The Globe and Mail
Response to B.C.'s new online casino gambling site has been so overwhelming that the website crashed a day after being launched.
BC Lottery Corporation president Michael Graydon says North America's only such website hit 100 per cent capacity on the first day and had to be closed for several hours for maintenance.
Mr. Graydon says the PlayNow.com site was expected to be up and running later in the day.
Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman has said B.C. residents spend about $100-million on online gambling websites each year, and the province wants to ensure that money benefits British Columbians.
The government says it will use the funds for health care, higher education and improved infrastructure.
The lottery corporation says a number of gambling safeguards have been put in place, including a clock that displays how long players have been online and a pre-set deposit limit, but critics blasted the move.