AI & Data Innovation Hub

The collective goal of this collaboration is to assemble a high-performing, Vancouver-based team specialising in next-gen AI and data solutions within an inclusive operating structure that fosters innovation, speed-of-delivery, and best-in-class AI governance for the benefit of BCLC players, employees and stakeholders.

BCLC is a social purpose company based in British Columbia, Canada that is committed to delivering win-wins for the greater good while providing lottery, casino and sports gambling entertainment in a way that serves the best interests of its players, the province and society. Last year, BCLC generated more than $1.5 billion in net income to benefit provincial and community programs, including health care, education and charities across British Columbia, Canada.

Future Anthem humanises data with their all-in-one product, Amplifier AI, to personalise the player experience for everyone. Utilizing quick-to-deploy modules across the entire player journey, Future Anthem harnesses real-time machine learning to onboard and retain customers responsibly. Future Anthem is trusted by the world’s leading gambling operators and studios. Anthem was selected for the highly coveted Tech Nation Applied AI 3.0 Growth Programme in the UK, and is a recipient of several industry awards, including Data & AI Partner of the Year at the EGR B2B Awards.

More information is available at: https://www.futureanthem.com.

The Canadian Future Anthem team engaged in the Hub will be employed by Anthem^XT - a Vancouver based team of data professionals that innovate with AI, operating as a specialized subsidiary of Future Anthem in partnership with BCLC. The team will build AI and data products that are designed to improve player experiences.
Whilst the Anthem^XT team will operate with a degree of independence, its success will align with the long-term goals of BCLC and with Future Anthem's overarching mission, values, and culture.

The plan is to initially hire a total of nine data and product professionals to the team, including a mix of data engineers, data scientists, product and delivery leads.

The Anthem^XT team will be based in the Vancouver offices of BCLC.

Diversity and inclusion are always top of the agenda. Starting with recruitment, we aim to reflect a variety of perspectives and experiences by implementing inclusive hiring practices, such as a diverse hiring team. Our approach includes training on diversity, equity, and inclusion to promote an inclusive workplace culture and psychological safety. By embedding diversity into every aspect of our operations, we strive to create a workplace where every team member feels valued and empowered, driving innovation and excellence in all our initiatives.

The Anthem^XT team will be managed locally by a leader hired and based in Vancouver. The Innovation Hub leader will report to the Future Anthem Chief Data & Product Officer, Chris Conroy.

Best practice AI governance will be implemented through Anthem^XT’s product development and implementation lifecycles, focusing on the principles of trust, equity, fairness, data governance, human agency, inclusive growth, oversight and monitoring practices, and well-being of stakeholders, including:

• Consistent monitoring of product reliability
• Performance management of both AI models and impacts on players
• Robustness and reliability, safety and security, transparency and explainability of operations, player experience and player protection, performance accuracy, adequacy, and validity
• Guidelines, checklists, and protocols to ensure transparency of use of AI
• Ensuring transparency and fairness in the AI algorithms
• Ensuring our AI models are well documented

The Innovation Hub will aim to build innovative, operational, and commercial applications of data and AI products for use by BCLC. The goal of the products will be to improve player experiences, with a prioritisation of real-time activities where possible. The products will aim to cover all product categories – lottery, instant, casino, sports, poker, and bingo and will transverse land-based and online activities where possible.

Data-driven research will form an important part of the development of the products, and the Innovation Hub will provision for a recurring programme of research and development as defined by BCLC through the Steering Committee. 

The Steering Committee includes:

• Mark Goldberg (Chief Information Officer, BCLC)
• Dan Beebe (Chief Operating Officer, BCLC)
• Chris Conroy (Chief Data & Product Officer, Future Anthem)
• Anthem^XT Innovation Hub Leader (to be appointed)

Future Anthem will deploy an independent version of its real-time AI platform to the Hub, giving access to best-in-class technology from the outset. Whilst this will remain a discrete resource of the Hub, it will continue to benefit from all ongoing upgrades to Anthem’s core platform.

Through existing work with Future Anthem, the Hub will leverage existing gaming data with PlayNow and other gaming data that Future Anthem has to build new AI data capabilities for BCLC. This will grow and develop as the roadmap evolves.

The initial products for the Hub will be decided by the Steering Committee based on the expertise of Future Anthem and the priorities of BCLC.

BCLC employees may propose initiatives for the Hub to work on, which will be technically assessed, with the Steering Committee deciding on the approved roadmap and resourcing. Over time, BCLC employees will be seconded into the Innovation Hub to learn and assist in the development and creation of AI capabilities built within the Innovation Hub for BCLC.