British Columbia is currently one of the top destinations for gambling in Canada. There are several great casinos and gambling venues – and operators see great potential for the city of Vancouver to become a tourist destination for gaming. While idea has previously been entertained by city council, Mayor Gregor Robertson has stated that the city will no longer consider the idea of gambling expansion.
As part of Robertson’s reelection bid, he has announced that no more gambling expansion plans will be entertained by the Vancouver city council. Over the past couple of years, several companies have attempted to expand the city’s gambling market – but to no avail. Now, Robertson is making it official: for the next three years, gambling expansion will not occur.
Last year, Las Vegas’s Paragon Gaming proposed the replacement of an existing BC casino with a new and bigger facility. The new casino would have doubled the number of gaming machines to 1200 and added 75 new tables. Ultimately, the idea was rejected. Just months later, another proposal was presented: the expansion of the Edgewater Casino. This, too, never came to fruition.
While Robertson’s plan has been applauded by most councilors, some have stated that this is not they had initially planned. According to Suzanne Anton, the plan was to allow the replacement of the Vancouver casino as long as a few stipulations were met – but that is no longer the case and Robertson plans to halt all gambling expansions for the next three years.
