BC Online Gambling and Casinos

British Columbia is one of the biggest and most populous Canadian provinces. It is home to a legal online gambling market, as well as dozens of retail casinos and several thousand lottery outlets.

Almost all land-based casinos in British Columbia are run by the province-owned British Columbia Lottery Corporation or two of the biggest private gambling companies — Gateway Casino & Entertainment and Great Canadian Gaming. There are also a few First Nation casinos. The minimum gambling age in British Columbia is 19, both in land-based and online casinos.

In this article, we will list some of the best casinos, poker rooms, bingo rooms and racetracks you can find in British Columbia. We will also touch on online gambling regulation in the province and answer some questions regarding gambling taxes.

Related articles: BC Lottery

Is online gambling legal in BC?

Yes. Online gambling in British Columbia is legal, although only through a single website, PlayNow.ca, owned and operated by the BCLC.

PlayNow is a versatile gambling platform that offers lottery, keno, instant games, casino games, live casino, poker, bingo, and sports betting. It was once parlay-only betting but has since become a fully operational online sportsbook.

Despite it being a province-run website, PlayNow has a substantial selection of casino games, comparable to some of the biggest online casinos in Canada. The same can be said for the site’s poker room, which frequently organizes tournaments.

The site’s sportsbook section now has all the betting options one could ever want and has done away with the stringent parlay-only rules.

British Columbia casino gambling

There are currently 36 land-based casinos operating across British Columbia. Most of these casinos have hundreds of video slot machines (including video poker games and video lottery terminals), as well as several table games like roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, poker and others. Several casinos also have dedicated poker rooms running Texas Hold’em and other cash games and tournaments.

Below are summaries of the five most popular casinos in BC and a table with information about all of the province’s casinos.

Grand Villa Casino Burnaby

• Address: 4331 Dominion St., Burnaby, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 1,300+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, poker, live poker

Grand Villa Casino in Burnaby is a 100,000-square-foot casino operated by Gateway Casino & Entertainment Limited. It features an impressive collection of games that includes over 1,300 slot machines, 67 gambling tables and an 11-table poker room. The casino is open 24 hours a day.

Cascades Casino Resort Langley

• Address: 20393 Fraser Highway, Langley City, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 1,000+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, live poker, bingo

Cascades has over 70,000 square feet of gambling space featuring more than 1,000 brand new video slot machines, 28 table games and a poker room with six tables, various poker tournaments and the bad beat jackpot. The casino is operated by Gateway and has a luxury hotel and spa on site. Just like most major BC casinos, Cascades is open around the clock.

Hard Rock Casino Vancouver

• Address: 2080 United Blvd., Coquitlam, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 951 video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, off-track horse race betting

Located on the bank of the Fraser River, Hard Rock is one of the most prominent Vancouver casinos. The casino’s 80,000 square feet of gambling space includes almost 1,000 video slots and various table games. It is also one of a few BC casinos that offers off-track horse race betting. Hard Rock Casino is adjacent to the Executive Plaza Hotel, and it’s open 24 hours a day.

River Rock Casino Resort

• Address: 8811 River Road, Richmond, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 1,200 video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, poker, live poker, off-track horse race betting

River Rock is a hotel and casino resort in Richmond that entertains its guests with over 1,200 modern video slots and more than 100 tables. It also has a dedicated poker room, a racebook and several high-limit rooms. River Rock Casino Resort is open 24/7.

Starlight Casino New Westminster

• Address: 350 Gifford St., New Westminster, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 900+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, poker

Starlight Casino in New Westminster is among the biggest BC casinos with its impressive collection of over 900 video slots and around 45 table games. The casino also has a VIP high-limit room, a great entertainment program and several dining options. The casino is open day and night.

Elements Casino Victoria

• Address: 1708 Island Highway, Victoria, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 770 video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker

Parq Vancouver Casino

• Address: 39 Smithe St., Vancouver, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 600+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, live poker

Elements Casino Surrey

• Address: 17755 60 Ave., Surrey, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 500+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, horse race betting

Cascades Casino Kamloops

• Address: 1555 Versatile Drive, Kamloops, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 500+ slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, live poker

Cascades Casino Delta

• Address: 6005 BC-17A, Delta, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 500+ slots, 16 table games including blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, live poker

Treasure Cove Casino and Bingo

• Address: 2003 BC-97, Prince George, BC
• Hours: 24/7

Chances Kamloops

• Address: 1250 Halston Ave., Kamloops, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
• Games: 200+ slots, electronic table games, bingo, off-track horse race betting

Playtime Casino Kelowna

• Address: 1300 Water St., Kelowna, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.
• Games: 450+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, live poker

Casino Nanaimo

• Address: 620 Terminal Ave., Nanaimo, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday to Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.
• Games: 400+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, live poker, off-track horse race betting

Cascades Casino Penticton

• Address: 201-553 Vees Drive, Penticton, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.
• Games: 400+ video slots, blackjack, roulette, poker

Elements Casino Chilliwack

• Address: 8180 Young Road, Chilliwack, BC
• Hours: n/a
• Games: 300+ slots, blackjack, poker, bingo, off-track horse race betting

St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino

• Address: 7777 Mission Road, Cranbrook, BC
• Hours: n/a
• Games: 210 video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker

Chances Playtime Abbotsford

• Address: 30835 Peardonville Road, Abbotsford, BC
• Hours: n/a
• Games: 234 video slots, blackjack, bingo

Chances Squamish

• Address: 9000 Valley Drive, Squamish, BC
• Hours: n/a
• Games: 100+ slots, bingo

Chances Playtime Courtney

• Address: 361 Hunt Road, Courtenay, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 200+ video slots, blackjack, bingo

Chances Mission

• Address: 7178 Horne St., Mission, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 100+ video slots, bingo

Chances Maple Ridge

• Address: 22710 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.
• Games: 200+ video slots, bingo, off-track horse race betting

Chances Fort St. John

• Address: 11308 Alaska Road N, Fort St. John, BC
• Hours: n/a
• Games: 154 video slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, live poker, bingo, lottery

Chances Playtime Campbell River

• Address: 111 St. Anns Road, Campbell River, BC
• Hours: 24/7
• Games: 150+ video slots, blackjack, bingo

Billy Barker Casino Hotel

• Address: 308 McLean St., Quesnel, BC
• Hours: n/a
• Games: video slots, electronic roulette

Chances Williams Lake (Signal Point Gaming)

• Address: 1640 Broadway Ave. S, Williams Lake, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• Games: 130 video slots, bingo, lottery

Chances Dawson Creek

• Address: 400 Dawson Creek-Tupper Highway, Dawson Creek, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• Games: video slots, bingo

Lake City Casino Vernon

• Address: 4900 Anderson Way, Vernon, BC
• Hours: Sunday to Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Thursday to Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Games: 400+ video slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker

Poker rooms in British Columbia

Live poker is very popular in British Columbia, although not every BC casino has a dedicated poker room where you can play against other players. Instead, most of them feature only a few popular poker variants in which you go against the dealer. So, if you’re only interested in live poker, here are some of the top places where you can play exciting cash games and tournaments.

River Rock Casino Resort Poker Room

River Rock is often described as the best poker room in all of British Columbia. It currently features five tables where you can play $1/$3 Texas Hold’em with buy-ins that start as low as $100. A bad beat jackpot is also available. The room is open every day from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Grand Villa Casino Burnaby Poker Room

This is one of the best casinos in the province, and its poker room doesn’t lag behind the other amazing games you can play here. The 12 tables run 24 hours a day and offer no limit Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hi. The available games include 1/3 NL, 2/5 NL, 5/10 NL, 2/2 PLO, 1/3/5 PLO and 5/5 PLO. All players are eligible to win the bad beat jackpot.

Cascades Casino Langley Poker Room

Cascades Casino in Langley is another excellent venue for poker fans. The poker room is open day and night and offers six tables. No limit Texas Hold’em is the most popular game, although you can play various games with different limits. The current bad beat jackpot at the casino is worth $500,000.

Parq Vancouver Casino Poker Room

Parq Vancouver has another 24/7 poker room with 11 nine-handed tables run by professional dealers. There are several games with various limits, catering to both casual players and high-roller pros.

Cascades Casino Kamloops Poker Room

Cascades Casino Kamloops has a substantial selection of tables where you can play no limit cash games and participate in occasional tournaments. The chance to win the bad beat jackpot worth $500,000 awaits all players with a qualifying hand. The poker room is open Thursday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to late hours.

Other poker rooms in British Columbia

• Playtime Casino Kelowna
• Casino Nanaimo
• Chances Fort St. John

Is sports betting legal in BC?

Sports betting is legal in British Columbia as long as the bets go through the BCLC. The only legal online sportsbook right now is PlayNow.ca. Here, you can wager on the most popular North American sports and International competitions.

The Criminal Code of Canada no longer prohibits single-event bets. That means the parlay-only betting is gone. More options than ever now exist with PlayNow offering single bets and functioning as a full-fledged online sportsbook.

Lottery in British Columbia

The lottery is huge in BC. There are around 3,500 lottery retailers across the province, and draws are conducted several times a week. There is a wide variety of lotto games you can play, including Extra, BC/49, Canada Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, Daily Grand, Poker Lotto and Lotto 6/49 Guaranteed Prize Draw.

All prizes up to $2,000 can be claimed at lottery retailers. Prizes between $2,000 and $9,999.99 can only be claimed at Lotto Signature Stores in Burnaby and Vancouver, while prizes between $10,000 and $25,000 are claimed by mailing your ticket to the Kamloops Player Service office. For all prizes exceeding $25,000, you should call BCLC customer support at 1-866-815-0222.

The BC lottery is a big part of the province’s revenue. Every year, the BCLC records a net income of over a billion dollars. The money is distributed to public programs and sectors such as education, health care, public safety, infrastructure development, charity support and more.

Bingo in British Columbia

Bingo is another form of legal gambling in BC. Bingo halls are spread across the province, and they’re a common sight in land-based casinos. Online bingo is available on PlayNow.ca, with the most popular games being Suite 75, Classic Bingo and Foosball.

Racetracks in BC

There are five racing tracks in British Columbia, located in Vancouver, Surrey, Princeton, Vernon and Osoyoos.

Hastings Racecourse Vancouver

Hastings Racecourse was first opened in 1889, and it was initially called East Park. Hastings is used for thoroughbred racing and has a flat five-furlong course. Some of the most notable graded events hosted at the Hastings Racecourse include the British Columbia Derby, Ballerina Stakes and BC Premier’s Handicap.

Fraser Downs Racetrack Surrey

Fraser Downs Racetrack is the only BC racetrack that offers standardbred racing. It is adjacent to Elements Casino Surrey and features a phenomenal clubhouse with a view of the track. The clubhouse is open 24 hours a day.

Other racetracks in BC

• Sunflower Downs Princeton
• Desert Park Osoyoos
• Kin Park Vernon

British Columbia gambling summary

Whether you like online or land-based gambling, you can find plenty of options in British Columbia. There are more than two dozen reputable casinos in the province, with the majority located in and around Vancouver. Apart from offering hundreds of slots, these casinos have a great selection of table games, while a few of them also offer live poker, bingo, and horse racing.

Online gambling is legal on the official BC gambling website PlayNow.ca, where you can find everything from popular video slots and live casino games to lottery games and sports betting. The options are no longer limited, making PlayNow a safe and reliable casino and sports betting website that has improved over the years and will keep improving.