Hastings Racecourse & Casino Canada

Gaming Floor at Hastings

Our casino floor sits inside one of Vancouver’s better known venues - 188 N Renfrew St, in the Hastings Park area about six kilometres east of downtown. The setup is simple: you walk in, staff may ask for ID, and then you are on the floor. No complicated check-in process and no need to swipe a membership card at the entrance.

The slot area covers a solid mix of electronic gaming machines, with different denominations and game styles. Short visit or longer stay, there is usually something that fits how you like to play. We operate as part of Great Canadian Entertainment, which has managed this property since 2004 under the same provincial gaming rules used across its other BC locations.

Getting Started on the Floor

If you are new to the venue, the first visit usually goes like this:

1. Arrive at 188 N Renfrew St and come in through the main entrance.
2. Keep valid government-issued photo ID ready in case staff request it at the door.
3. From the entrance, look for the slot section - it is visible from the front.
4. Pick a machine, then insert cash or a ticket voucher to load credits.
5. Choose your bet denomination on the screen before you start spinning.
6. When you are done, press “Cash Out” and the machine will print a ticket voucher.
7. Take that ticket to a cashier window or a self-service kiosk in the casino.
8. Receive your payout in Canadian dollars from the cashier.

One practical point worth keeping in mind, not unique to us: on electronic machines, lower denominations usually make a session last longer. It sounds obvious, but it is easy to overlook when you are standing in front of a bright new game.

Dining Inside the Venue

We have two food and drink spots on site - Eclipse Lounge and Jerome’s. Eclipse is more of a lounge setting, with drinks and lighter fare, close enough to the gaming floor that you still feel part of the action. Jerome’s is a full sit-down dining room, better suited if you want a proper meal rather than something quick.

You do not need a special reservation linked to your casino visit to use either space. During operating hours, you can move between the gaming floor and the dining areas as you like. It is a comfortable layout overall, the sort where you can grab food or a drink without feeling like you have left the venue experience.

A Venue With a Long History

The Hastings site first opened in 1889. That is the original date. For more than a century it hosted live thoroughbred flat racing and was often described as Vancouver’s longest continuously operating professional sports facility. Great Canadian Gaming took over the lease in 2004 and, for the next two decades, ran the racing calendar and casino operations alongside each other.

Live horse racing on site came to an end in 2024, closing out 133 years. Great Canadian Entertainment pointed to economic viability as the reason, and the change took effect right away. It marked a major shift - not only for our property but for horse racing in BC overall, where racetrack operations had already been under pressure for a long period.

The casino floor and on-site hospitality did not stop. The venue moved into its current role as Hastings Casino, still located inside the historic Hastings Park grounds, sharing space with the Pacific National Exhibition fairgrounds area.

Simulcast Wagering - Still Here

Even without live racing outside, simulcast racebook wagering remains part of what we offer. Guests can bet on horse races broadcast from tracks across North America, using terminals inside the venue. It keeps a clear link to the property’s racing roots, even if the horses now appear on screens instead of circling a local track.

Race cards, tracks and post times change by day and season. If you are planning a visit mainly for the racebook, it is important to check what is scheduled before you come. BC RaceBook-related offers and handicapping materials sit within the larger provincial racing environment we are part of.

Placing a Simulcast Wager

A typical simulcast bet at our racebook goes roughly like this:

1. Find the simulcast racebook area on the casino floor.
2. Look at the screens for the track name, race number and post time.
3. Go to a wagering terminal or speak with a teller in the racebook section.
4. Choose your race, horse number and bet type - win, place, show, or an exotic option.
5. Enter or state your stake in Canadian dollars and confirm your ticket.
6. Hold on to the printed ticket and head back to watch the live race broadcast.
7. Once the results are official, redeem any winnings at the teller window or a redemption terminal.

The simulcast area usually attracts a different style of crowd than the slot floor. It is quieter, more focused on the races and form sheets. Worth a walk-through even if you are not a regular racing bettor.

Getting There and Reaching Us

You can reach us by phone at +1 (604) 254-1631 if you have questions about operating hours, access to the floor, or dining options on a given day. The property is listed on greatcanadian.com and casinosbc.com, both of which carry current venue details. The hastingsracecourse.com site also holds information about the location.

Getting here from central Vancouver is straightforward. Public transit routes serve the Hastings Park area, and on-site parking is available, which fits the size of the grounds. We are roughly six kilometres from downtown, so the trip by car or transit tends to be reasonably quick either way.

Responsible Gaming

Hastings Casino operates within British Columbia’s regulated gaming framework. That includes provincial responsible gambling standards that apply to every land-based venue in the province, including ours. If you would like to set personal limits, or talk through available support tools, our floor staff can help directly - there is no need to search for a separate counter or look up a third-party number on the spot.

Provincial self-exclusion programs, run through the BC gaming framework, are in place here in the same way as at any other regulated site. It is important to remember that play should be treated as entertainment with a clear budget, not as a way to earn income. That is not just a required notice, it is simply the way gambling tends to work better for most people. If anything is unclear, or you want to go over options, call us or speak with someone on the floor.