Roberto Luongo was paid $55,000 during his final season with the Vancouver Canucks to endorse B.C. Lottery Corporation’s (BCLC) online poker, according to documents released this week.
Luongo was also paid $160,000 for 2011-2012 and $158,715 for 2012-2013, for a $373,715 total over three years, according to the Crown corporation’s financial statements. For that Luongo appeared in advertisements, did personal appearances at casinos and his entry in the World Series of Poker was BCLC-sponsored.
It may have played a role in last year’s sales increase for BCLC’s e-Gaming products.
The $1.123 billion in sales by the lottery division included $91 million from e-Gaming, up from $73.3 million the previous year.
“In 2013-14, BCLC continued to invest in the PlayNow.com e-Gaming business, increasing the frequency with which new casino-style games were introduced, and making other product enhancements,” said the annual report. “Overall, e-Gaming revenues were up $17.7 million from 2012-13—an increase of 24%.”
The two-time Olympic gold medallist, who was the losing goaltender in game seven of the 2011 Stanley Cup final, was dealt to the Florida Panthers at the National Hockey League trade deadline last March.
The report also shows BCLC paid Vancouver Arena LP ($251,466) and Vancouver Canucks LP ($207,396). VALP operates Rogers Arena, and VCLP operates the Canucks. BCLC is a suite-holder, advertiser and sponsor.
Great Canadian Gaming and associated companies were the biggest gambling facility partners of BCLC for the year. The list of payments included Great Canadian Casinos Inc. ($207,830,126), Great Canadian Entertainment Centres Ltd. ($9,525,053), Hastings Entertainment Inc. ($6,006,504) and Orangeville Raceway Ltd. ($14,785,536). A majority of theses payments would be for commissions on gambling revenue.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd., whose flagship is the Grand Villa in Burnaby, was paid $183,248,661, while downtown Vancouver’s Edgewater Casino ULC received
$50,759,210.
