BCLC shows interest in expanded gambling at two Vancouver casinos
This could lead to adding more slots and table games at Parq and Hastings Racecourse.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has expressed interest in expanded gambling within the City of Vancouver, according to a local report in The Province. The regulator wants the city to amend or lift its current moratorium to allow for citywide gambling expansion.
The moratorium has been in place in Vancouver fort the past 13 years and was first approved in April 2011. According to the local report, former city mayor Gregor Robertson signed off on the moratorium “as a way to get the provincial government and BCLC to ‘undertake(s) a comprehensive public consultation on the issue of expanded gambling in the City of Vancouver.’”
Vancouver’s General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services Margaret explained in a written report why the moratorium still holds weight in Vancouver.
Wittgens said in the report, “To date, the province and BCLC have not completed the work set out in the moratorium that must be completed before the moratorium ends, so the moratorium remains in effect in the city.”
Wittgens also said that the BCLC has expressed “recent interest” in gambling expansion at Parq and Hastings Racecourse, two casinos in the city.
Expansion at both destinations would include additional slot machines and table games.
Parq is currently home to 61 table games and 600 slot machines. The casino has permission to operate 75 table games, according to the local report.
Hastings offers players 446 slot machines. However, Hastings Racecourse does not have table games at its facility.
Both Wittgens and City Manager Paul Mochrie have recommended that the council’s committee on policy and strategic priorities should consider amending the current moratorium to include expanded gambling at both casinos “as long as BCLC provides an impact assessment on the proposed expansion.”
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