Midway through 2024, Great Canadian Entertainment operated nine casinos in British Columbia. In the space of 18 months, it has agreed to sell six of those to First Nations groups.
The coast-to-coast casino operator confirmed on Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement with certain communities from the Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe to sell Elements Casino Chilliwack, one of the biggest gaming destinations in the Fraser Valley region, pending customary closing conditions and approvals.
Made up of seven First Nations communities, the Ts’elxwéyeqw are the First People of the Chilliwack River watershed in southwestern B.C. The English word Chilliwack derives from the Ts’elxwéyeqw name.
Squiala First Nation Chief and Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe Management Ltd. President Chief David Jimmie said the acquisition represents the community investing into its people and its future.
“The revenues generated through this acquisition will help strengthen our communities, create new opportunities and ensure our Nations continue to play a leading role in the local economy,” he said. “Additionally, we believe that local community-based ownership of Elements Casino Chilliwack will further strengthen the broader Fraser Valley community and economy. It’s a proud moment that reflects how Indigenous leadership and collaboration can build a stronger, more inclusive future for everyone.”
Great Canadian CEO Matt Anfinson said that under the Ts’elxwéyeqw Group’s stewardship, Elements Casino Chilliwack will begin an exciting new chapter.
“For the team members and guests of Elements Casino Chilliwack, and the local community, we can think of no better owner for the business,” he added. “We look forward to the closing and then working with the Ts’elxwéyeqw Group team during the transition period.”
First Nations move in on BC casinos
On Monday, Great Canadian also said in a separate announcement that it has now entered a similar definitive agreement to sell the casino operations and real estate at Hastings Racecourse & Casino to the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. The two parties entered a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the deal in June and have now formalized it. The acquisition does not include the racecourse or racing operations.
These announcements come after Great Canadian confirmed in late October that it had agreed to sell the casino operations of River Rock Casino Resort and Chances Maple Ridge to Petroglyph Development Group (PDG), a wholly owned corporation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Great Canadian previously sold Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria to Snuneymuxw in two separate deals that closed in January 2025.
In all cases, the respective First Nations group involved cited a desire to move into owning gaming operations as a step towards self-determination and self-sufficiency for its community and its people. Some similar things have happened elsewhere. Indigenous Gaming Partners (IGP), a group of five Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw First Nations communities working with casino company Sonco Gaming Inc., acquired the operating assets of four Pure Canadian Gaming casinos in Alberta last December.
Will Great Canadian retain BC footprint?
As and when all of these deals close, Great Canadian Entertainment will have sold two-thirds of its casino operations in B.C. to various First Nations groups. Its remaining three B.C. venues are Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, Elements Casino Surrey and Chances Dawson Creek.
The company did not comment to Canadian Gaming Business when asked whether it could strike similar deals for any of those casinos.
Great Canadian also operates a dozen casinos in Ontario, as well as two in Nova Scotia and Casino New Brunswick.
