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Casinos Vancouver Guide

"Less is more" sometimes seems like a confession. Not every location can have the greatest things contained in the smallest packages. However, the handful of casinos that call Vancouver home are all grand, luxurious places, including one that used to be a Hard Rock. With around one large casino for every 170,000 people, there are a lot of different tastes to feed in Vancouver.

Table of Contents:

This guide from LeoVegas will cover River Rock Casino Resort at 8811 River Road, Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam, Grand Villa Casino in Burnaby, and PARQ Vancouver on Smithe Street. We'll introduce you to each casino's key features and amenities and then give you a run-down of the games available in the area.

Vancouver is a Top Destination for Casino Enthusiasts

Located on the Pacific Northwest coast, Vancouver is famous for its natural beauty (such as the sprawling Stanley Park), which provides a contrast to nights spent beneath the lights of Downtown.

Each casino comes with its own set of eateries and other entertainment. For example, the River Rock Casino Resort offers Cantonese, Italian, Japanese, and American cuisine, along with coffee from Starbucks. Great Canadian Casino has brought flavours from Gordon Ramsay to the rainy city, too.

Casino entertainment rarely exists in isolation. The establishments below all have other distractions for guests to enjoy. The Grand Villa Casino offers live music, while PARQ Vancouver has a wellness program with an aqua lounge and spa.

What about the games? With so many people in Vancouver per casino, there are plenty of poker, blackjack, and roulette variants to play (as well as more standard versions), and each casino boasts hundreds of slots.

History of Casinos in Vancouver

The year the Lord Stanley of Preston gifted the Stanley Cup to Canadian ice hockey - 1892 - was one of the most pivotal events in Canada's gambling history - somewhat ironically. The year marked the first time a growing gambling pastime attracted the government's attention.

You can probably guess what happened next.

Restrictions on gambling would last until 1969, when a new government voted to allow lotteries for the first time, followed by a change to the rules on other betting types the following year (horse racing had been legal since 1910).

Canada opened three casinos in Winnipeg (1989), Vancouver (1985), and Montreal (1993). Vancouver saw the arrival of Hastings Park Casino, which is known today for its racecourse.

The Casino Industry in Vancouver Evolves

Perhaps the biggest development in Vancouver's casino industry is yet to come. Online gambling is in an odd, distinctly Canadian position in British Columbia. Only one site is regulated by the provincial government. It's a similar story in Alberta. This means that both governments have a legal monopoly in the industry.

To the south, across the US/Canada border, Oregon and Montana have recently changed the rules about online casinos to allow people within the states to play online. Whether this attitude could trickle north is unknown, largely because the government earns more than CAD$2bn from those regulated online gambling platforms. This is a sum it might not want to give up quietly. The good news is that some money is channelled into non-profit organizations.

All this makes no difference to gambling on the ground. British Columbia has 36 casinos across the state, 17 bingo halls, two race tracks, and 14 "teletheatres", which beam in horse races worldwide for people to bet on.

Key Milestones and Developments

  • 1892 - Gambling is restricted in Canada.
  • 1910 - Horse racing is legalized in Canada.
  • 1969 - Lotteries are legalized.
  • 1970 - The BC government opens gambling license applications.
  • 1985 - Vancouver opens its first casino at Hastings Park.
  • 1989 - Winnipeg opens its first casino.
  • 1993 - Montreal opens its first casino.
  • 2001 - Hard Rock Casino Vancouver opens.
  • 2004 - The BC government opens the first online casino in the province.
  • 2004 - River Rock Casino Resort opens.
  • 2008 - Grand Villa Casino opens.
  • 2017 - PARQ Vancouver opens.
  • 2022 - Ontario allows online gambling, free of government monopolies.
  • 2023 - Hard Rock Casino Vancouver rebrands as Great Canadian Casino Vancouver.

Major Casinos in Vancouver

PARQ Vancouver

Overview and Location

PARQ Vancouver is a vast (780,000-square-foot) complex on Smithe Street. The building offers a sweeping, modern connection - or "missing link", to quote architect Maxime Frappier - between the BC Lions' stadium and Downtown.

Key Features and Amenities

A multi-use structure, PARQ has a casino, eight restaurants, a wellness centre, a spa, and two hotels on-site.

The casino holds the largest poker room in British Columbia between its walls, with 13 tables available 24 hours a day. Play No Limit Texas Hold'em and Omaha for Bad Beat-network jackpots climbing into the tens of thousands. PARQ hosts tournaments each day at 10:15.

A refurbished gaming floor has blackjack, roulette, and 12 baccarat terminals. In the latter case, baccarat games interact with live tables, otherwise known as Stadium Gaming. The Luna suite offers high-limit slots, with table games available on request.

PARQ wears its sporting allegiances on its sleeve. Aside from an association with the BC Lions next door, visitors can play the Big Blue slot, dedicated to the Vancouver Canucks.

River Rock Casino Resort

Overview and Location

With the waterfront, mountains, and city lights, River Rock Casino Resort at 8811 River Road offers stellar views of Vancouver from a distinctive lodge-style structure.

Key Features and Amenities

River Rock's forte is slots. It has 1,100 machines, including a pair of salons. The Prive Room is packed with CAD$1 slots and features a private dining area, while The Jade Room is a multi-denomination area for players with a larger bankroll.

River Rock has 104 Stadium Gaming terminals, which is the largest collection in BC.

Setting River Rock apart from its nearby rivals is a racebook with at-seat food service. Poker fans get access to the same Bad Beat jackpot network as PARQ, above, at No Limit Texas Hold’em games. Again, prizes rise into the tens of thousands.

This Great Canadian Entertainment site is more than a casino. A hotel with various packages means there's no need to step out into Vancouver at all (although we'd recommend it). The Encore Rewards scheme adds extra treats.

Grand Villa Casino

Overview and Location

Although it's not strictly in Vancouver - at least, not in the shadow of Gastown or Downtown - Burnaby is a neighbouring place and a city in its own right. The Grand Villa Casino is one of the smaller venues on our list, at 300,000 square feet, but it's no less stocked with games and amenities.

Key Features and Amenities

Central to the Grand Villa experience is the sextet of eateries, including the Grand Neptune Seafood Restaurant, the CHOW Noodle Bar, and the Alpina Lounge. It hosts comedy nights, dancing, and televised sports, and it serves as another home for the Encore Rewards program.

Grand Villa has 67 tables, plus another 12 poker tables in a dedicated room. It has one of the biggest collections of slots we've seen (1,300+) in British Columbia. A personalized experience can be found in the High Limit slots room.

Grand Villa takes its table games to special (including private) rooms. Play inside the Privé, Cypress, and Lions rooms to access baccarat, blackjack, casino poker, craps, roulette and plenty of variants. The rarest we've seen is Ruyi Baccarat.

Great Canadian Casino (formerly Hard Rock Casino) Vancouver

Overview and Location

Hard Rock Casino Vancouver opened at the turn of the millennium but experienced a rebrand in 2023 to Great Canadian Casino Vancouver. An unusual building at 2080 United Boulevard, Coquitlam, Great Canadian retains the heart of the Hard Rock with shows from magicians, musicians, and dance troupes.

Key Features and Amenities

Let's talk about the games. Great Canadian Casino has 920+ slot machines, 37 live table games, and 48 Stadium Gaming terminals. Slots are playable from CAD$0.01. Private rooms are available for both slots and table experiences.

No Limit Texas Hold’em is Great Canadian's chosen poker variant. The number of tables is smaller compared to some of the casinos described above at just 10, but a low CAD$100 buy-in means they're more accessible than most. The Bad Beat jackpot network and daily progressive prizes up the ante at the Great Canadian.

Oddly enough, Great Canadian's diners offer an American take on cuisine. Gordon Ramsay Burger, OpenTable's Diners' Choice winner for 2024, has a place at the casino, as does Rock House Grill, serving fried chicken and burgers.

Types of Casino Games Available

Slot Machines

Popular titles here include 88 Fortunes, Longhorn, Dragon Link, Big Blue, Timberwolf Grand, Lightning Link, JJBX Rising Fortunes, The Price is Right, Dancing Drums, Buffalo Longhorn, Buffalo Grand, and Wheel of Fortune.

Tips for Playing Slots

A golden rule to remember is that, like all your favorite online slots, land-based ones are random and can't be strategized or gamed to force more wins. Remember that you're never owed a win, no matter how many times you've lost (and vice-versa). This is called the Gambler's Fallacy.

Take note of each game's volatility. This describes how often and how much a slot machine is likely to pay out. It will be described as High, Medium, or Low. This makes the difference between penny slots and high-value ones. Penny slots tend to pay out little and often (low volatility). High-value slots pay out rarely but with larger prizes when they do (high volatility). Progressive jackpot slots are almost always rated high volatility - and usually have bet minimums to qualify for the main prize.

You might also want to consider RTP, or Return to Player, values. This determines how much of each bet you can expect to see returned over a theoretical number of plays. So, a machine with 0.98% RTP could theoretically give you back CAD$0.98 from each dollar bet eventually.

With all the above in mind, it's possible to shape your gaming personality. High rollers are unlikely to get much use out of low-paying slots, while casual players should avoid high-limit games to preserve their bankroll.

In any case, you should always play within a budget you outline beforehand.

Table Games

Blackjack

ZAP IT, Double-deck, Shoe, Regular, Free Bet, Blazing 7s, King's Bounty, and Ruyi are some of the variants you'll find.

Roulette

Touch Bet, High-Limit, Regular

Poker

Ultimate Texas Hold'em, No Limit Texas Holdem, Three and Four Card, Pai Gow and Face up Pai Gow, Pot Limit Omaha, Fortune Pai Gow

Baccarat

Touch Bet, Squeeze, Commission, Electronic Baccarat

Accommodation Options

On-Site Hotels

Not all of the casinos on our list have on-site hotels. The Great Canadian Casino Vancouver relies on local facilities to house its players.

River Rock Casino Resort has nearly 400 rooms for guests. It has Stay & Refuel and Bed & Breakfast hotel packages. A 4-star graded site, River Rock Casino Resort also has a 4-star rating on TripAdvisor.

PARQ Vancouver is a luxury, 5-star, JW Marriott hotel that has an "Excellent" review on TripAdvisor. It has 329 rooms.

Finally, the Grand Villa Casino offers the Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre to visitors. This is a four-star graded establishment with a 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor.

Luxury Suites

River Rock Casino Resort has a Presidential Suite for discerning guests. It has a single king bed with a starlight ceiling, panoramic views of Vancouver, and 2,500 square feet of space to explore.

JW Marriott PARQ Vancouver is an expensive place, with nights starting in the triple digits, but the option to combine stays with spa and casino packages will tempt some travellers. The Stay & Play Package includes a CAD$20 casino credit, for example. PARQ Vancouver is a luxury hotel from the ground up.

Grand Villa Casino has one- and two-bedroom Penthouse Suites available.

Budget-Friendly Options

Rooms at the River Rock Casino Resort begin with the 1 King and 2 Queen bedrooms, located in the hotel tower. At 365 square feet, they're about half the size of suites but are well-appointed with air conditioning, a safe, high-speed internet, and a mini-fridge. At around CAD$400 per night, they're the least expensive rooms on our list.

Nearby Hotels and Lodging

The best-value hotels in Vancouver include the YMCA Hotel on Beatty Street (2.5-star), the 4-star EXchange Hotel on Howe Street, Robson Street's Blue Horizon Hotel (3-star), and Wedgewood Hotel & Spa (5-star) on Hornby Street.

FAQs

Does Vancouver, BC have a casino?

Yes. In this guide, we covered River Rock Casino Resort, Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, Grand Villa Casino, and PARQ Vancouver. However, there are also several smaller venues in the city and across BC.

Yes. However, only a single online casino is regulated by the government.

Are drinks free in BC casinos?

No. Tea, coffee, and soft drinks may be provided as a (free) self-service option on the casino floor, but alcoholic beverages must be paid for.

How many casinos are in British Columbia?

There are 36 casinos in BC.

You must be 19 to gamble legally in Vancouver.

Are there any non-smoking casinos in Vancouver?

Almost all casinos are non-smoking in Vancouver. PARQ does not allow smoking anywhere on site, for example.

Great Canadian Casino Vancouver

The Guide at LeoVegas Learn all about Great Canadian Casino, Vancouver's former Hard Rock, in Casino Guides from LeoVegas. Play poker, slots, and table games.

Grand Villa Casino Vancouver

Grand Villa Casino Vancouver has a massive 100,000-square-foot gaming floor which spans over two floors, more than 1,000 slot machines, a Marriott hotel, six restaurants and live entertainment.

Parq Vancouver Casino

Discover all you need to know about the Parq Vancouver Casino Resort. Read about its history, location and the broad selection of games available right here!