BC casino ownership changes since 2024

The first two sales closed together. Great Canadian sold Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria to Petroglyph Development Group, owned outright by Snuneymuxw First Nation; the sale closed January 16, 2025. Both sales had been announced in 2024: Casino Nanaimo on June 24 and Elements Casino Victoria on September 10. Petroglyph's own wording is that all profits, in its phrase, "go back to the Nation".

Petroglyph took over Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam on May 5, 2026. The sale was first made public on December 19, 2025, and the casino operates under the Great Canadian name through a limited licence.

River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond changed hands on June 16, 2026. From that date, ownership has rested with a partnership between Petroglyph Development Group, of Snuneymuxw First Nation, and Musqueam Capital Corp, of the Musqueam Indian Band. The partners bought it from Great Canadian Entertainment.

Great Canadian agreed to sell the casino portion of Hastings, with its casino-related real property, to Tsleil-Waututh Nation. A memorandum of understanding came on June 6, 2025, and a definitive agreement followed on November 7, 2025. The City of Vancouver and regulators must both approve the deal.

Elements Casino Surrey is the second agreed sale. Great Canadian reached an agreement on March 9, 2026, to sell it to SE-MI-AH-MU Development Corporation of Semiahmoo First Nation. Approval from regulators is required, as is consent from the City of Surrey, the owner of the land. Great Canadian is to provide transition services for up to one year after closing.

Fraser Downs, beside Elements Casino Surrey, held its last live harness racing on August 15, 2025, the day the racetrack lease was ended by the City of Surrey. Since then, the track has been demolished.

At Hastings, the last live race of the 2025 season was run on October 19, 2025. On December 5, 2025, Great Canadian said it would no longer run a racing season there, effective immediately. The province ended slot-revenue funding for racing effective January 31, 2026. Hastings continues to show races from other tracks by simulcast.

The regulator changed on April 13, 2026. On that date the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) took over from the former provincial regulator, and the new Gaming Control Act of BC took effect. Since April 1, 2026, the 24/7 line and free counselling of Gambling Support BC have run as one provincewide service.