Vancouver’s Parq Casino will add its slot machine capacity from 600 to 900 after the city council narrowly approved the move in a 5–4 vote at Tuesday’s public hearing.​

The decision follows the council’s 2024 amendment to a long‑standing moratorium on casino growth, which opened the door for venue expansions. Parq and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) submitted their request last year, arguing that Vancouver’s gaming infrastructure has failed to keep pace with demand.​
 

BCLC’s case for expansion​

BCLC President and CEO Patrick Davis told councillors the organisation aims to “revolutionise the gambling industry” by offering experiences that benefit communities. He noted that while Vancouver’s population has grown more than 20 percent in the past 15 years, slot capacity has remained unchanged.​ “Many Vancouver players are leaving the city to play elsewhere because local casinos aren’t meeting expectations,” Davis said.​

Parq, established in 2017, has operated with 600 slots since its opening. The expansion will not affect the maximum number of table games (75) or require new construction. Its 72,000‑square‑foot, two‑storey floor can accommodate up to 1,200 slots.​
 

Regional competition​

Parq is the only casino in downtown Vancouver, but it lags behind competitors within the metropolitan area: Grand Villa in Burnaby has 1,300 slots, River Rock in Richmond has 1,100, and Cascades in Langley has 1,000.​

According to BCLC, it estimates that 71 percent of gambling revenue from Vancouver residents flows to casinos outside the city. Municipalities receive 10 percent of net gaming revenue from casinos within their jurisdiction. Vancouver, for one, collected CAD 6.1 million ($4.4 million) from Parq in fiscal year 2024–25. With 300 additional slots, Parq forecasts an extra CAD 1 million ($731,000) annually for the next three years.​ The casino also pledged to raise its annual payment to the province under a social responsibility agreement—CAD 300,000 ($218,950) more in 2027, climbing to CAD 900,000 ($656,887) in 2028, with future increases tied to inflation.​
 

Opposition voices

Despite the projected financial gains, opposition was strong. Unite Here Local 40, a union representing hospitality workers, submitted more than 3,000 letters against the expansion, citing risks of gambling addiction and social harm.​

Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, deputy chief medical health officer at Vancouver Coastal Health, criticised the lack of updated research on gambling harms—the last provincial health officer report was published in 2009. He warned that more slots would heighten the likelihood of problem gambling and related harms.​

He also argued that there are already 22 casinos in total in the province of British Columbia, adding more slots in the city of Vancouver was not needed. He further argued that if there’s more gambling that happens at the Parq Casino, this increases the likelihood of problem gambling as well as the likelihood of more harm.​
 

Council debate​

Councillor Lenny Zhou dismissed the concerns as overstated. He is in favour of the change. “We are not building a brand-new casino,” Zhou said at Tuesday’s hearing. “Even with the increase, Parq will still have fewer slots than Burnaby, Richmond, or Langley.”

 

 

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