Delta Casino Gets Final Go Ahead Near Vancouver Amid Protests From Neighboring City

Delta Casino Gets Final Go Ahead Near Vancouver Amid Protests From Neighboring City.

Costfoto / NurPhoto / Getty Images

Key Takeaways

A proposed casino in the Vancouver suburb of Delta has won final approval from provincial regulators, despite opposition from a neighboring community.

Delta casinoThe new casino in the Vancouver suburb of Delta is set to open in the summer of 2020 (Image: Surrey Leader)

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) gave the final green light to the new casino and entertainment complex, which will be dubbed Cascades Casino Delta. The facility will combine a 124-room hotel with restaurants, conference spaces, and a casino with 500 slot machines, 24 table games, and six electronic table games.

The decision comes after months of reviews, with the BCLC saying in a release that it looked at “the market opportunity, business case, health impacts and municipal approval process to ensure that the project meets legislated requirements under the Gaming Control Act.

The regulator says public input played a big part in shaping where and how the new casino would be built, but not everyone in the region is backing the project.

Objections from Bordering Casino Community

Right next door to Delta, south of Vancouver, is the city of Richmond, which is home to the River Rock Casino.

Despite the fact that Richmond is already home to the biggest casino in the province, the city’s mayor to the project all along.

While admitting he’s concerned that a new, neighboring casino will mean less gaming revenue for his community, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie says the issues with forthcoming Delta casino run deeper than that. He claims it’s in a “terrible location,” citing concerns around damage to the surrounding farm land, as well as a lack of proper traffic infrastructure, and a potential increase in crime.

Brodie filed a notice of objection with the BCLC in August, hoping to stop the project, or at least have it moved to a new location, but gaming officials weren’t buying it.

“I am unable to conclude that Richmond has demonstrated it will incur significant costs as a result of the proposed casino,” mediator Simon Margolis wrote in his decision, according to The Vancouver Sun.

With the final hurdle cleared, construction on the new casino will get underway early next year, with a grand opening date set for the summer of 2020.

The Wild West of Gaming

The region’s casinos have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this year.

It all started with a shocking report called “Dirty Money,” which revealed that international crime syndicates had been using Vancouver-area casinos to launder its dirty cash for years.

A few weeks later, it was revealed that casino employees themselves were illegally shredding paper transactions of more than $10,000, allowing certain VIP customers skirt money-reporting rules.

As a result, the BCLC recently hired to monitor all large financial transactions.

More recently, Canadian rapper Drake when he was told he wasn’t allowed to gamble.

Article Sources
Houston Texans, Caesars Reach Marketing Pact, But Texas Casinos Remain Illegal editorial policy.
  1. Poker Player Sues Florida Card Club After Shooting

Compare Accounts
×
Detroit Lions Installed as a Betting Favorite for the First Time in 24 Games
Provider
Name
Description
Michigan Casino Guest Sexually Assaulted While Asleep, Police Reveal  Monmouth Park About to Make History Again as Fixed-Odds Horse Racing Starts Sunday  Wynn Making Progress on UAE Build, Tower Could Be Finished in Late 2025  Wynn Resorts Named to 50 Community-Minded Companies List  Sphere Entertainment Posts Big Q2 Loss as Revenue Soars  K-pop Musician Seungri Heading to Prison for Gambling, Other Charges  Entain to Skip Paying Dividends in Favor of Business Expansion  Western Australia’s Investigation into Crown Resorts Wraps Up  Philippines Reports Significant Year-on-Year Increase in Revenue for Q3  Former Lake Tahoe Casino Sold to Health Care Group, Demolition Planned