Casinos in British Columbia: Full List and Locations

British Columbia has one of Canada’s largest land-based casino scenes, from the riverside resort floors of Metro Vancouver to community-run gaming centres in the Okanagan and the north. All of it runs under a single public framework: the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) legally conducts and manages gambling in the province, private and First Nations operators run the venues day to day, and an independent provincial regulator sets the rules. This guide lists the main casinos in British Columbia by region, explains who regulates them, and sets out the practical facts a first-time visitor should know — including the 19-and-over age limit. It is a reference, not a review: there are no ratings, tips or recommendations here.

How casinos work in British Columbia

In British Columbia, the government conducts and manages gambling and licenses private companies to operate the floors. Under Canada’s Criminal Code only provinces may run gambling, so BCLC holds that authority for BC and contracts “service providers” — companies such as Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, plus a growing number of First Nations-owned operators — to run the actual casinos. This is the same model used for land-based casinos across Canada, where each province regulates its own venues.

Who regulates gambling in British Columbia?

British Columbia’s gambling regulator is the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO), which oversees all gambling and horse racing in the province. The IGCO launched on 13 April 2026 under the new Gaming Control Act and replaced the former Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB); many older guides still name GPEB, so treat those as out of date. The regulator works alongside BCLC, which remains the body that conducts and manages gaming and runs the PlayNow.com online platform. If you want the national picture, see our explainer on how gambling is regulated in Canada.

What is the legal gambling age in British Columbia?

The minimum age to gamble or enter a gaming area in British Columbia is 19. That applies to casinos, community gaming centres, lottery and sports products and the provincial online site. BC’s 19+ limit is higher than the 18+ rule used in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, so check the age for the province you are in before you travel.

How many casinos are there in British Columbia?

BCLC oversees roughly 22 full-service casinos and 12 community gaming centres (CGCs) across British Columbia as of its 2025-26 reporting. Full-service casinos offer slot machines and live table games; community gaming centres are smaller venues that typically focus on slots, electronic table games and bingo without a full pit of dealers. The list below covers the main full-service casinos by region; for the complete, current roster always check BCLC directly, because names and operators are changing.

Casinos in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

Most of British Columbia’s largest casinos sit in Metro Vancouver, within about a 30-minute drive of downtown. Three venues dominate the region — River Rock in Richmond, the former Hard Rock in Coquitlam, and Parq in downtown Vancouver — alongside several Gateway-operated floors.

River Rock Casino Resort (Richmond)

River Rock Casino Resort is British Columbia’s flagship casino resort, on the Fraser River at 8811 River Road in Richmond, across from the Bridgeport SkyTrain station about 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Its gaming floor carries more than 1,100 slot machines, around 80 live table games, 108 electronic table-game terminals, a poker room and a racebook. The resort adds a 396-room hotel, a 144-berth marina and restaurants including Gordon Ramsay Steak and KOI, with concerts at The Show Theatre. Opened in 2004, it has long been billed as the largest casino resort in Western Canada. In 2025 its ownership passed to a First Nations partnership (see below), though the River Rock brand and operations continue.

Great Canadian Casino Vancouver (Coquitlam) — formerly Hard Rock Casino Vancouver

The casino many people still search for as “Hard Rock Casino Vancouver” is now Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, in Coquitlam at 2080 United Blvd. It opened as Casino Coquitlam in 2001, became Boulevard Casino, then operated as Hard Rock Casino Vancouver from 2013 before being rebranded in December 2023. With an 80,000-square-foot floor and roughly 950 slot machines plus table games and a poker room, it is often described as the province’s largest casino by gaming space. Its live-entertainment venue, now The Show Theatre (previously the Red Robinson and Molson Canadian Theatre), seats over 1,000 and remains a regional concert draw. It is open 24 hours and sits about 30 minutes east of downtown, with no direct SkyTrain stop.

Parq Vancouver (downtown)

Parq Vancouver is the only casino in the city of Vancouver itself, at 39 Smithe Street beside BC Place stadium. The casino spreads about 600 slot machines and roughly 75 table games across two floors, with high-limit salons, a sportsbook lounge and what the venue calls BC’s biggest poker room. Parq is a full resort: it houses two hotels — the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and The Douglas, an Autograph Collection hotel — with a combined 500-plus rooms, a spa and several restaurants. It opened in 2017 and replaced the older downtown Edgewater Casino.

Other Lower Mainland casinos

Beyond the big three, the Lower Mainland has several more full-service casinos, most operated by Gateway Casinos & Entertainment:

• Grand Villa Casino — Burnaby; one of the region’s larger floors with an attached hotel.
• Starlight Casino — New Westminster, on the Fraser River.
• Cascades Casino — Langley (a large resort on Fraser Highway) and a newer location in Delta.
• Elements Casino Surrey — Surrey; under agreement to be sold to the Semiahmoo First Nation.
• Hastings Racecourse & Casino — East Vancouver; combines slots with thoroughbred racing, with the casino side being acquired by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.

Casinos on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island’s full-service casinos cluster around Victoria and Nanaimo. Elements Casino Victoria sits in View Royal near the capital, and Great Canadian Casino Nanaimo serves the mid-Island; both were sold to the Petroglyph Development Group in 2025. Smaller community gaming centres under the Chances brand operate in Courtenay and Campbell River, and RimRock Casino serves Port Alberni. If you are travelling to the Island, confirm current hours and operators before you go, as several venues are mid-transition.

Casinos in the Okanagan and the Interior

The Okanagan and Thompson region is British Columbia’s second-busiest casino corridor after Metro Vancouver. Playtime Casino anchors downtown Kelowna on Water Street, Lake City Casino serves Vernon, and Cascades Casino operates in both Kamloops and Penticton. Several Chances community gaming centres fill in smaller markets such as Williams Lake. Most Interior floors are mid-sized, slot-led rooms with a modest selection of table games rather than full resorts.

Casinos in Northern and Kootenay British Columbia

Northern and southeastern BC are served by a handful of destination and community venues. Treasure Cove Casino in Prince George is the largest in the north; Billy Barker Casino Hotel operates in Quesnel; and Chances venues serve towns such as Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. In the Kootenays, the St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino (Casino of the Rockies) near Cranbrook sits on Ktunaxa Nation land and pairs gaming with golf and a hotel.

First Nations ownership of British Columbia casinos

A defining shift in British Columbia’s casino landscape is the transfer of venues to First Nations ownership. Since 2023, Great Canadian Entertainment has agreed to sell almost all of its BC casinos to local First Nations and their development corporations while BCLC continues to conduct and manage the gaming itself. Completed or announced deals include River Rock Casino Resort (to a Snuneymuxw First Nation/Musqueam partnership), Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam, Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria (to the Petroglyph Development Group), Hastings Racecourse’s casino (to the Tsleil-Waututh Nation), Elements Casino Surrey (to the Semiahmoo First Nation) and Elements Casino Chilliwack (to Ts’elxwéyeqw communities). For visitors the day-to-day experience is largely unchanged, but the operator names on older listings are quickly going out of date.

What games can you play at BC casinos?

British Columbia’s full-service casinos offer the standard mix of slot machines and live table games, with poker rooms at the larger venues. Typical table games include blackjack, roulette, baccarat and pai gow, plus specialty games such as Ultimate Texas Hold’em at bigger floors; River Rock and Parq also run dedicated poker rooms, and River Rock adds a racebook for horse-race wagering. Community gaming centres lean toward slots, electronic table games and bingo. If you are new to the floor, our guide to how casino games work explains the odds and the house edge in plain English.

Common mistakes visitors make

A few avoidable errors trip up first-time visitors to British Columbia’s casinos:

• Assuming the age limit is 18. It is 19 in BC, and ID checks are routine; a driver’s licence or passport is the safest ID to carry.
• Trusting old operator and brand names. “Hard Rock Casino Vancouver” is now Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, and many venues are changing owners — confirm the current name before you navigate.
• Relying on guides that still cite GPEB. The regulator is now the Independent Gambling Control Office; older compliance pages are out of date.
• Expecting large cash transactions to go unrecorded. BC casinos run strict anti-money-laundering source-of-funds checks after the Cullen Commission; bring traceable funds and expect paperwork on big buy-ins.
• Confusing a community gaming centre with a full casino. CGCs usually have slots and electronic tables but no live dealers, so check the venue type if you want table games.

Who are BC casinos suited to?

British Columbia’s casinos suit a range of visitors: Metro Vancouver’s resort floors (River Rock, Parq, Coquitlam) work for travellers who want gaming combined with hotels, dining and concerts, while Interior and northern venues serve local and regional players closer to home. Anyone visiting should treat gambling as paid entertainment with a fixed budget rather than a way to make money — every game carries a built-in house edge. The province’s casinos host GameSense advisers on site to answer questions and connect people with support. For the broader story of how these venues came to be, see the history of gambling in Canada.

Responsible gambling and disclaimer

This article is for general information only and is not legal, financial or gambling advice; venue details, operators and regulations change, so confirm specifics with official sources before you rely on them. Gambling in British Columbia is restricted to those aged 19 and over. The odds always favour the house, and no strategy, system or demo play changes that. If gambling stops being fun, help is free and confidential: look for a GameSense adviser on site, or use the provincial support resources listed in our responsible gambling resources for Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many casinos are there in British Columbia?

BCLC oversees about 22 full-service casinos and 12 community gaming centres across the province as of 2025-26. Full-service casinos have live table games and slots, while community gaming centres are smaller slot-and-bingo venues.

What is the biggest casino in British Columbia?

By gaming-floor size, Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam (the former Hard Rock) is often cited as the largest at about 80,000 square feet. River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond is the largest full resort, with 1,100-plus slots, a hotel and a marina.

Is Hard Rock Casino Vancouver still open?

Yes, but under a new name. The Coquitlam venue operated as Hard Rock Casino Vancouver until December 2023, when it was rebranded Great Canadian Casino Vancouver. It is open 24 hours at 2080 United Blvd.

What is the legal gambling age in British Columbia?

You must be 19 or older to gamble or enter a gaming area in British Columbia, and valid photo ID may be requested. This is higher than the 18+ age used in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

Are there casinos in downtown Vancouver?

Parq Vancouver, at 39 Smithe Street beside BC Place, is the only casino within the city of Vancouver. Other large casinos — River Rock in Richmond and Great Canadian in Coquitlam — are a short drive from the downtown core.