Known for being one of the best places in the world to live, Vancouver is a friendly and vibrant city with some of the best landscapes in Canada. Its laid-back urban core is encircled by nature, making it the perfect place for city lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. 

This combination also applies to its gambling landscape, which is divided between idyllic gambling getaways and bustling city casinos. 

This handy guide will break down the very best casinos Vancouver has to offer and help you choose the perfect gambling spot for your personal style. We consider everything from game variety and promotions to dining options, parking facilities, and proximity to public transport. Carry on reading and discover your next place to play!

River Rock is the first of three Great Canadian Entertainment properties to feature on this list. Though run by the same corporation, each one has something a little different to make it stand out from the rest. River Rock is certainly no exception and has multiple accolades to its name, including the largest selection of baccarat tables in North America, the largest progressive jackpot network, and the most slots of any West Coast casino.  

The aptly named River Rock Casino has stunning panoramic views of the Fraser River. Not only is the location ideal for a scenic smoke break, but it’s also less than a five-minute walk to the Bridgeport SkyTrain Station, which will take you to downtown Vancouver in less than 20 minutes. Vancouver Airport is a five-minute drive in the other direction, making it the perfect pit stop for a layover. The casino also has a 400-room hotel for those who want to turn their trip into a weekend getaway. 

When it comes to gaming, River Rock is a budget bettors paradise. Over 1,100 slots and 175+ live and electronic tables await you, with slot bets ranging from a cent to a dollar and table games starting at $5 (or even $1 if there are enough players). The casino has over 100 stadium-style electronic tables, which is the largest collection in British Columbia. 

Meanwhile, poker players can take advantage of the weekly Sunday Superstack tournament. With a buy-in of $200, it’s aimed more at seasoned bettors, so you know you’ll be competing with players of a similar ability. On the other hand, newbies and less experienced players can opt for the lower entry $100 tournament every Wednesday night. 

There isn’t any live music at River Rock, and there’s a strict 2oz-per-hour limit on drinks, so there isn’t much of a lively atmosphere. However, if you’re focused on finding a fantastic range of games with affordable bet limits and an on-site hotel that’s both easily accessible from downtown and near to some tourist hotspots, River Rock could be the ideal spot for you. 

For more information, read our full River Rock Casino review.

Opened in 2017, Parq is undoubtedly Vancouver’s most luxurious casino. With both a four- and five-star on-site hotel, a 60,000-square-foot designer meeting space with its own rooftop park, and an entire floor dedicated to wellness and relaxation, Parq certainly caters to the high-rolling casino crowd. 

Equally posh dining options include The Victor (a Victorian-inspired open-concept atrium with $65 brunches), the farm-to-table Honey Salt restaurant (conceptualized and currently cheffed by renowned Canadian chef Kim Canteenwalla), and The Noodle Bar At Koi (an Asian eatery that caters to VIPs in the Koi High Limit blackjack and baccarat room). 

For something slightly less high-brow (but still not exactly casual), BC Kitchen is a sports lounge that offers ‘innovative interpretations of classic comfort foods’. Parq Casino is conveniently located right next door to BC Place, home of the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions. Many BC Place attendees favour Parq Casino for a post-game celebration, so it’s the most atmospheric section of the entire casino. Watch all the big games unfold on one of its 15 wall-mounted TVs while sipping on an ice-cold international beer or enjoying a Happy Hour cocktail. 

Parq offers luxury in abundance, but its games collection is a little less expansive than other BC casinos. There are more than 600 slots and 75 gaming tables, not counting those in the high-limit Koi and Luna lounges. Though it’s an upscale casino, the bet limits on the tables are surprisingly accommodating, with entry for as little as $10 on some and $15 on others. What’s more, the dedicated poker room (the largest in BC) offers no-limit Omaha and Hold’em for as little as $1. 

It’s less than a 15-minute walk into downtown Vancouver from Parq Casino. Dozens of top attractions (as well as Vancouver’s busiest bars) are within a stone’s throw of the casino, so you can explore everything the city has to offer before heading inside for a few rounds of roulette. 

For more information, read our full Parq Casino review.

Grand Villa Casino Burnaby is one of 31 properties owned by Gateway Casinos & Entertainment and one of two Grand Villa franchises. It’s a little far away from downtown Vancouver - a 20-minute drive, to be precise - but its slightly out-of-the-way location is more than made up for by its facilities. Over 1,300 slots, 60+ tables, a 24-hour poker room, an entertainment space, an on-site hotel, seven restaurants, and multiple promotions (including a free breakfast sandwich in the poker room) will keep you entertained for hours.

Grand Villa Casino Burnaby has many selling points, but perhaps its most attractive quality is how well it caters to casual and budget bettors. The Alpina Bar + Gaming Lounge is a boutique bar that combines carefully crafted cocktails and small plates with lower-bet casino games. It’s the perfect way for casual bettors who come to a casino to socialise and have fun with friends, and it is a relaxed setting where newbies can learn the ropes of lower-risk games. 

Similarly, the casino offers low limits on its table and poker games. There are also dozens of electronic gaming terminals in the Grand Arena - 35 of which are connected to live tables - which are available 24/7 and have bets as low as $5 on roulette, blackjack, baccarat and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Bets range from $0.01 to $1 on slots, while bettors with a more flexible budget can wager up to $5 per spin in the high-limit Royal Room. 

The budget-friendly prices don’t just stop at the gaming tables. The Buffet serves up delectable all-you-can-eat dishes every Thursday to Sunday for a very fair $33.99. On the other hand, Personas has Happy Hour every single day (including $5 brews, $5 ‘iceberg’ cocktails, and 50% off bottles of wine). Unfortunately, the only thing that isn’t budget-friendly is the on-site Delta hotel, though there are a few cheaper options just beyond the casino. 

Of course, high rollers can also find plenty to enjoy at Grand Villa. The Cypress and Prive Rooms are on a different level and reserved for the most exclusive customers only, while the Maple Room combines comfort and exclusivity for slot spinners on the same separate level. The Lions Room is a high-limit blackjack and baccarat area on the main casino floor. 

For more information, read our full Grand Villa Casino review.

Starlight is yet another Gateway casino, this time located in New Westminster. Don’t be confused by the giant 1950s-esque neon light at the entrance; Starlight has all the facilities and amenities of a modern casino, including a shiny new poker room (the newest in Vancouver and the only one to offer $2-3 No Limit Texas Hold’em and single blind $5 Limit Omaha). 

Starlight is a little off the beaten path but is easily accessible by SkyTrain, bus, or the hourly shuttle service that departs from Royal City Mall. There’s plenty of free parking in the on-site parkade, available for both guests of the casino and people enjoying live music in the RedBar Lounge. 

If you’ve been to any other Gateway venue, you’ll most likely be familiar with the Match restaurant. It’s available at the majority of Gateway casinos and is perhaps one of the best in-house restaurant chains of any casino in Canada. Starlight Casino offers plenty of promotions in the Match restaurant, including daily Happy Hour and food specials, playoff promotions, and free drinks for events like Father’s Day. You’ll also find plenty of gaming promotions like cash draws, tournaments, and more. 

One of the casino’s biggest perks is its racebook, an amenity you don’t often find at Vancouver casinos. Open until 9pm throughout the week and midnight at the weekend, you can watch and wager on all the biggest horse races from across the globe.

Add 54 live tables, 32 electronic tables, and just shy of 1,000 slots to this list, and you’ve got a well-rounded list of gaming options. Sure, for a 120,000-square-foot casino, this selection isn’t as large as it could be. However, the machines it does have are regularly switched out with new releases, the tables are fresh and high quality, and the casino offers great limits on its table games. 

For more information, read our full Starlight Casino review.

Another Great Canadian Entertainment venue, Hastings Park Casino, is an add-on to the famous Hastings Park Racecourse, both located in the ever-popular - you guessed it - Hastings Park. Nestled right in front of the North Shore Mountains, guests are treated to a spectacular backdrop while gambling in the casino, watching the horses, or dining in the panoramic Silks Buffet. 

At just 42,000 square feet, Hastings Park Casino is a boutique little gaming spot consisting of less than 600 slots. As per regulations, Hastings Racecourse is permitted to offer slots but not table games, which is why you won’t find any blackjack or roulette tables here. However, the slots are diverse and even include some in-house originals like Race to Win, a thrilling progressive jackpot with a $10,000 prize. There are also daily slot tournaments, Hot Seat cash draws, and other exciting promotions. 

Hastings is unique in that it’s one of only two spots in BC where you can wager on live horse racing. Opened in 1889, Hastings Racecourse hosts its own thoroughbred races and simulcasts the biggest events from around the world. Race days bring a particularly exciting atmosphere to the track with pop-up concessions, a live DJ, giveaways, and exclusive promotions. Meanwhile, the racebook is open daily until 8pm for international race betting, with extended hours on weekends. 

Hastings’ dining options are relatively few, but they’re carefully considered to provide comfort and convenience no matter what type of betting you’ve come for. The Eclipse Lounge is located just steps away from the casino floor, with 15 wall-mounted TVs showing the biggest sports games and live entertainment weekly. 

Jeromes offers a wide range of hearty comfort foods just off the racebook. Meanwhile, Silks Buffet is the ultimate way to enjoy the racing from a more relaxed environment, boasting panoramic views of the mountains and racetrack (just make sure to book ahead on race days).

It seems Gateway Casinos & Entertainment has something of a monopoly on Vancouver’s casinos, as Cascades is the third of their properties to feature on this list. Located in Delta, Cascades Casino is miles away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Vancouver. At just 42,000 square feet, it’s a pretty small casino. However, the entire venue is an impressive 161,000 square feet, including the casino, hotel, three restaurants, entertainment space, and parking.

From the twice-daily Happy Hour and daily dinner specials in Match to the $29.99 Saturday roast and free brunch item for Encore members, Cascades is a paradise for diners on a budget. These budget-friendly prices don’t just stop with food and drinks either. Table game enthusiasts will be happy to see $0.50 bets on electronic roulette in the Diamond Arena, plus accessible minimum bets on live tables. Slots start at just a penny, and a buck is the highest denomination. 

High rollers won’t find much extravagance on the gaming floor - in fact, there’s no dedicated high-limit area, which is unusual for a brick-and-mortar casino - but there is a Delta hotel on-site, part of the luxury Marriott chain. Complete with a Spa, fitness centre, hot tub, outdoor pool and its own convenience store, the hotel provides everything you need for a relaxing getaway.  

Since it’s so far from town, the casino tends to attract a more mature crowd of weekend getaway-ers and coach trippers. Therefore, you can expect a relaxed ambience and an uncrowded casino floor. 

Elements Casino Surrey is one of three Elements branded venues in British Columbia and one of the company’s 25 overall properties across North America. The 56,000-square-foot Elements Surrey is one of its smaller casinos. However, it boasts the same high-quality restaurants, knowledgeable dealers, and top-quality customer service as all the other Elements brands. Located in Surrey, it’s one of the furthest casinos from downtown Vancouver.

Table game enthusiasts will be pleased by the range of game variants on offer, including King’s Bounty Blackjack, Double Deck Blackjack, Ruyi Baccarat, Four Card Poker, and Face Up Pai Gow. There are both low and high-limit blackjack tables to suit bettors of all budgets, and they are available until 3am on weekends and 1am during the week. There are also 10 electronic table terminals offering $0.50 roulette and $5 blackjack and baccarat.

Poker pros can enjoy low table limits in the dedicated poker room. Unlike many of Vancouver’s poker rooms, Elements’ is not 24/7. However, there are plenty of promotions and progressive jackpots to make your gameplay even more exciting. 

Besides its affordable gaming floor, Elements Casino Surrey boasts a harness horse racing track, Fraser Downs. The nearby casual dining restaurant Homestretch has floor-to-ceiling windows, providing panoramic views of Fraser Downs and great food options. For even more entertainment, guests can visit the weekly Yuk Yuk Comedy Show, where a mix of pro and amateur comedians will keep you laughing for hours.