The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has welcomed a motion that it said will help boost customer satisfaction and retain players in Vancouver.
Vancouver City councillors approved a proposed expansion of the local Parq Casino that will now be able to host 50% more slot machines on its floor – increasing the total number from 600 to 900.
The motion was filed in 2025 by both the BCLC and Parq Casino as a result of a council amendment that allowed for land-based casinos to apply for increased capacity.
The introduction of more machines will not require the extension of the casino’s 72,000-square-foot physical grounds, which already has a maximum capacity of 1,200 slot machines.
For Canadian Gaming Business, a BCLC spokesperson said: “BCLC is pleased that the City of Vancouver has approved the expansion of regulated options for Vancouver players.
“This will help keep entertainment-spend local and generate additional municipal and provincial revenue to support public services and community programs, while doing so within a strong framework of player health, safety and community protection. ”
Pat Davis, BCLC President and CEO, welcomed the vote at the Council’s hearing, adding that the expansion will modernise the casino to fit the needs of a growing Vancouver population.
“Our mission is to revolutionize gambling entertainment through engaging experiences that build and benefit communities,” he said.
“We know that most players potentially impacted by the requested change are already gambling, but are doing so outside of Vancouver. In fact, 71% per cent of BCLC’s gambling revenue from Vancouver players is actually flowing through other Lower Mainland casinos.
“That means, simply put, that the city is losing out on important revenue from its own residents.”
For FY25, Parq recorded net gaming revenue of $6.1m. The casino now estimates that the 300 additional slot machines will contribute an additional $1m per year – with the venue’s VP of Marketing, Karen Gray, announcing a further commitment of $300,000 extra per year in social responsibility contributions.
The expansion’s proposal was met with some backlash from opponents, who expressed concerns about problem gambling, but Councillor Lenny Zhou – who backed the application – remained adamant that the concerns were baseless.
“I feel there’s some fear mongering about this expansion. We are not building a brand-new casino. And even with the increase, the number of slot machines in this location, it is still much less than Burnaby, Richmond, and even Langley,” Zhou concluded.