So far, it's been a safe wager.

The profits Victoria extracts from gambling have soared over the last decade to $1.1 billion a year.

Players collectively leave behind $2 billion a year at B.C. Lottery Corp.-run games.

That works out to $437 lost on gambling for every man, woman and child in the province in 2009. (Elsewhere in Canada, Ontario residents lose $384 per capita gambling and Quebeckers lose on average $361 each.)

B.C. residents' annual per capita loss is projected to climb to $460 this year and reach $503 by 2012, or a total of $2.27 billion, according to the BCLC service plan filed with the provincial budget.

The province and lottery corporation have done all they can to ensure the trend continues.

New casinos and a proliferation of slot machine-equipped community gaming centres (formerly bingo halls) has pushed the number of slots in B.C. above 10,000 in recent years, a more than four-fold increase since 2001.

And now the BCLC is counting on rapid growth of online gambling through its PlayNow.com website.

E-gaming through PlayNow pulled in $14.8 million from players last year and generated $3.1 million in net profit.

But BCLC still has only one-sixth of an estimated $87 million a year B.C. residents spend each year on e-gaming, much of it playing online poker with private out-of-province operators.

The lottery corporation aims to quickly deal itself a better hand, however.

Last September, it raised the weekly online gambling limit on PlayNow from $120 to $9,999.

BCLC now projects PlayNow e-gaming profits will more than triple to $10.8 million this year and hit nearly $40 million by 2012.

BCLC says it's consulting experts in responsible gambling with a view to adding more controls, particularly as it adds casino-style games to its online offerings.

PlayNow already has age controls to block those under age 19, pop-up reminders about gambling responsibly and information on the odds of winning.

Other parts of B.C.'s gambling industry look less robust.

Spending on lotteries and at casinos flatlined during the recession.

"Consumers have changed their spending habits, in particular on discretionary and entertainment activities," the BCLC service plan says, cautioning that "recovery is expected to continue to lag that of the overall economy."

Lotteries are to generate $250 million in government profit this year and casinos should ring up $750 million.

Community gaming centres are expected to generate profits of $101 million this year – up 27 per cent – and that's expected to climb to $120 million by 2012.

BCLC is also relying heavily on promotions, contests and loyalty schemes to attract and keep players. It already has 450,000 members enrolled in its B.C. Gold rewards program.

It also wants more B.C. adults to gamble at least once a month – currently 52 per cent play at least that often.