Tsleil-Waututh working toward purchase of Hastings Racecourse casino in Vancouver

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 06, 2025 3:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 6

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation says it has reached a preliminary woody to acquisition the casino concern and related existent property astatine Hastings Racecourse and Casino successful Vancouver from Great Canadian Entertainment, the country's largest gaming and hospitality company.

The First Nation announced Friday that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of knowing with the institution and is present moving toward a ceremonial agreement.

"We are thrilled to instrumentality different important measurement towards economical self-determination for our Nation successful our accepted territory," said Tsleil-Waututh Chief Jen Thomas successful a statement. 

"We judge that this opportunity is historical for america successful galore ways, and we look guardant to entering the gaming manufacture successful owed course."

The Hastings tract is located successful the First Nation's accepted territory astir Burrard Inlet. The woody is inactive taxable to owed diligence and last support from regulators, including the City of Vancouver, which owns the land.

In a telephone interrogation with CBC News, Thomas said the planned acquisition is besides a means to enactment ongoing assemblage programs.

"It volition assistance our assemblage support our programs going longer," she said. "We're ever looking for wealth for our elders programs, our younker programs, truthful this volition assistance prolong those programs successful our community."

This marks the archetypal clip the Tsleil-Waututh Nation has entered the gaming sector. Thomas added that the determination was inspired by a akin transaction by the Snuneymuxw First Nation connected Vancouver Island.

Earlier this year, the Island's Snuneymuxw First Nation officially acquired Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria from Great Canadian Entertainment aft receiving last regulatory approval.

At the time, the First Nation said the modulation would make sustainable wealthiness and bolster Snuneymuxw's power locally, nationally and globally.

"We wanted to travel suit and conscionable commencement taking attraction of our ain radical without authorities funding," said Thomas. "I heard it's going precise good for them. They're moving guardant astatine a beauteous bully pace."

In a statement, Great Canadian CEO Matt Anfinson said the institution supports the sale. 

"Recognizing that Hastings is portion of the TWN's accepted territory, we tin deliberation of nary amended entity to inherit this asset," helium said.

The institution says it volition proceed to supply modulation services to the First Nation pursuing the anticipated closing of the deal. No timeline for the last statement oregon anticipated closing day has been announced.