- Horse racing at Hastings Park & Casino shuts down after 130 years of operation
- Great Canadian Entertainment already sold the casino part of the operation to a B.C. First Nation last month
- MLS Whitecaps looking build new stadium on the site
Last week came the news that Hastings Park in East Vancouver was closing its doors for thoroughbred racing, effectively immediately, B.C.’s last operating horse track shutting down after 130 years of operations.
The B.C. government had announced a few weeks before that slot machine revenue from the property’s casino operations would no longer be allocated for horse racing purses there, and that was the death knell.
The decision to close was made by casino and racetrack operator Great Canadian Entertainment.
Lack of Economic Feasibility
“This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical legacy of Hastings Racecourse in the local community and its importance to the province’s racing industry,” said Wayne Odegard, Regional Vice President, Great Canadian Entertainment.
Unfortunately, this is strictly a business decision based on a lack of economic feasibility to move forward with another season of horse racing at Hastings. We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated team members, racing participants and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years.
“Our focus moving forward will be supporting our impacted team members through this transition, as well as racing participants as they assess their options for thoroughbred racing in the province in the future,” concluded Odegard.
130 Years of Horse Racing
Operations of the casino and simulcast racebook at the facility will not be impacted by the closure of the horse track.
Hastings Racecourse & Casino had been located in Vancouver since 1889, but recently it had been challenging to keep going from a financial perspective. The venue features a five-furlong racing surface, stabling for several hundred horses. Great Canadian Entertainment leases the facility from the City of Vancouver and has operated it since 2004.
The casino at the racecourse opened in 2008 with Great Canadian Entertainment undertaking property upgrades.
So What Now?
Great Canadian Entertainment sold the casino portion of the property to Tsleil-Waututh Nation in November. The casino, which is open year-round, features 400 slot machines, from classic reels to flashier video slots with progressive jackpots, blackjack, roulette, and craps, plus a poker room with regular tournaments. There’s a small sports lounge, called Eclipse, for betting on games.
Great Canadian Entertainment has been actively divesting itself of B.C. casinos to several B.C. First Nations over the past year. Closing down the horse racing part of the Hastings Park operation is the last piece of business for Great Canadian on that property.
On the Hastings Park site, the new PNE amphitheatre, for up to 10,000 spectators, is progressing through construction, to completed in time for its use as the FIFA Fan Festival site for the World Cup, with several matches to be held in Vancouver next June.
The MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps announced last spring they had begun talks with the city to build a stadium on the site.
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