Four Years With PlayNow. What’s Next for SIGA?

SIGA announced the decision on November 3, following a competitive procurement process. BetSIGA will have its own website and apps for Android and iOS. The operator hasn’t given a firm launch date or disclosed the contract value.

Why Saskatchewan Is Parting With PlayNow

Back in November 2022, SIGA entered online gambling using a platform that already existed. PlayNow belonged to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and was available in British Columbia and Manitoba. Saskatchewan became its third province, as BCLC reported at the time.

Four years later, SIGA wants a site carrying its own name. Bede will handle the technology, while BetSIGA becomes the operator’s new online brand.

There are plans to link the service more closely with SIGA’s seven casinos. Loyalty features and personalized offers are among the possibilities. Identity checks, geolocation and anti-money laundering safeguards are also included in the platform plans.

What’s less clear is how different BetSIGA will look to someone who currently uses PlayNow. SIGA hasn’t detailed the game selection or said which of the proposed features will be ready at launch.

What Will Happen to Existing PlayNow Accounts?

BetSIGA will inherit an established player base. By March 31, 2026, PlayNow had 59,080 registered users in Saskatchewan, up 14,167 from a year earlier, according to Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan’s annual report. The figure covers registrations, not active players.

For the fiscal year from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, PlayNow recorded CA$804 million (approximately US$574.5 million) in wagers and CA$31.59 million (approximately US$22.6 million) in gross gaming revenue (GGR). The conversions use the Bank of Canada’s November 3, 2026 exchange rate of US$1 = CA$1.3994.

SIGA has promised to migrate current players, but has yet to explain how balances, betting histories or verification records will be handled. No transfer date has been given.

The switch comes before SIGA’s exclusive online gaming rights expire in September 2029. Saskatchewan is keeping its authorized operator while changing the platform behind it.