B.C. gambling website stumbles in re-launch

An attempt to re-launch the B.C. Lottery Corporation's troubled PlayNow website apparently failed Thursday night: Anyone trying to visit the casino gambling site found only a page saying the site was not available and asking for patience.

The site was supposed to re-open at 7 p.m. PT, the corporation said at an earlier news conference.

Lottery spokesman Seamus Gordon told CBC News at 9:30 p.m. Thursday that technicians were looking into the delay and still hoped to have the website operational Thursday night.

The site was shut down abruptly in mid-July after a security glitch prompted officials to cut off access just hours after it was launched earlier in the day with much fanfare.

The security breach was what lottery corporation officials called a "data crossover" that allowed some gamblers to access others' accounts.

The corporation says the problem affected the accounts of 134 players, 12 of whom had some personal information viewed by others.

Officials did not specify if any money was misappropriated during the breach.

A security audit has given the PlayNow network a clean bill of health, the corporation said Thursday.

Launched July 15 by B.C. Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman, the website suddenly became inaccessible later that day.

Officials at first blamed the site's overwhelming popularity for the shutdown, but later admitted they were dealing with an embarrassing security lapse.

Revenue losses amounted to an estimated $150,000 a day, lottery officials said, putting the total loss at about $5.4 million for the 36-day shutdown.

The site is the first in Canada legally to offer casino gambling games, like poker and video slot machines. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation plans to launch an online casino gambling site in 2012.