Vancouver asked to let slot machines keep ringing at Hastings Park despite suspension of horse racing
A staff report going before city council this week asks for a non-enforcement resolution of bylaws that only allow slots with horse racing
Last updated 8 hours ago
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
Vancouver is considering allowing the suspended Hastings Park horse racing operation to continue bringing in revenue from slot machines while the city figures out what comes next.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
- Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
- Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
- Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
- Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
- Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
- Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
- Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
- Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
A motion going before a committee on strategic priorities on Wednesday asks city council to direct staff not to enforce a 2004 rezoning condition that only allows the racecourse to operate a casino when the racetrack facility is also in use.
The staff report “seeks council’s approval of a temporary non-enforcement resolution to permit the continued operation of slot machines in the existing grandstand building at Hastings Park without the continued operation of horse racing at the racetrack.”
The province cancelled all horse racing subsidies to the Hastings Park operation last year, leading the operators to stop racing horses at the site.
“With the closure of the racetrack, the city (as landowner) is considering options for the long-term use of the site, which may require a rezoning. While these discussions are ongoing, the operator, or their successors, are proposing to continue the existing slot machine operations without the horse racing, which is not permitted under the current development approvals.”
It would give operators of the facility at 2901 East Hastings — Hastings Entertainment Inc. and Great Canadian Entertainment are the current operators — up to three years of slots revenues “to support business continuity and protect existing jobs” during the planning phase.
A 2004 rezoning allowed for up to 900 machines at the track. A development permit issued the following year put the number of slot machines under the grandstand at 600, with some of the income going to a public benefits package.
The racetrack had been in operation since 1882 on the city-owned land before operations ceased in late 2025, but slots have continued.
-
Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The staff report says it’s unclear what might happen next.
“The future of the racecourse is uncertain. Proposals for alternative uses that do not include horse racing … may require site rezoning and other development approvals,” it says.
The continuing revenue and a council resolution not to crack down on the slots “would support existing employment and business continuity at the site during a challenging economic environment with significant pressures on the entertainment sector.”
One of the possibilities would be the Vancouver Whitecaps using Hastings Park as its new home, along with an entertainment district. The soccer team’s owners and city signed an agreement to study the idea at the end of 2025.
Under the current system, the city collects the gambling money from Hastings under the Gaming Control Act of B.C., and keeps 10 per cent of net revenues from slot machines for a boost to the city budget that averages to about $1.1 million a year.
It is paid into a community legacy fund at a rate of about $130,000 a year for grants through the Hastings social responsibility reserve. Another $500,000 a year acts as a greening fund for the Hastings Park reserve, while about $250,000 a year goes to operate the 44-space Kiwassa child care facility.
The staff report said all that money would be at risk if the casino were forced to close.
The allowance would use something of a loophole in the way the city applies its own bylaws and policies, noting that “the city does not have a general duty to strictly enforce” them. It notes courts have backed that kind of discretion in the past.
