Hastings Racecourse & Casino Registration

Two Paths On One Property

Registration at Hastings Racecourse & Casino does not run as a single, unified process. What you need to do depends completely on the role you come in with. Regular casino guests go through a quick ID check at the entrance, the same process used in every BC casino, and it usually takes under a minute. People who work in horse racing, or hold an official position connected to racing, go through a formal provincial licensing application instead. Those tracks do not overlap. They are separate systems with different rules behind them, and mixing them up just slows things down.

Our venue is located at 188 N Renfrew St, Vancouver, BC V5K 3N8. That one address covers the casino floor, the Hastings Racecourse operations that existed previously, and the historic Hastings Park grounds around it. It is worth having this clear before you plan your trip or start any paperwork.

Casino Entry - What Actually Takes Place

In practice, entering the casino is straightforward. You arrive, present your identification and staff confirm your details. That is the core of it.

Every person who comes onto the casino floor must show government-issued photo ID. For most guests that means a Canadian passport, a valid provincial driver’s licence, or an equivalent piece of ID that meets BC standards. Staff are not allowed to “wave you through” without this. The check is required under provincial casino policy and is applied to every guest, regardless of how often you have been on property in the past.

There are a few basic points that help set expectations. The casino is open daily from 10 AM to 2 AM. The gaming floor features over 500 slot machines along with electronic gaming products. Once you are past the entry check, you can speak with our floor team about joining a loyalty or rewards program if you want to. That is an optional extra, not a condition of entry, and there is no charge for signing up.

It is important to know that any personal information used for the door check is not stored once the verification is complete. We do not create a player profile or registration record at that moment. The check is about confirming age and identity only, not opening an account in your name.

A typical first visit looks roughly like this:

1. Arrive during regular operating hours - the casino is open daily from 10 AM to 2 AM.
2. Go to the main casino entrance at 188 N Renfrew St.
3. Present your valid government-issued photo ID to staff at the door.
4. Our team confirms your age and identity under BC’s mandatory casino ID-check requirements.
5. Remember that the minimum legal age for casino entry in BC is 19.
6. After you are cleared, you can enter and move freely across the gaming floor.
7. If you are curious about rewards or loyalty enrollment, ask any floor team member once inside.
8. Keep your ID with you during the visit, as secondary checks can occur from time to time.

For general support or if you have questions about your first visit, casino staff can offer guidance on entry processes and amenities. Responsible gaming resources are available on site.

Horse Racing Worker Licensing

Licensing for horse racing personnel is a different process and sits outside the day-to-day operations of our casino team. It is managed by the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, Horse Racing Division, Province of British Columbia. If you are employed in racing or are an official participant, your registration is handled by GPEB and not by Hastings Racecourse & Casino itself.

The form you need is the provincial Application for Horse Racing Licence and Registration, which is provided through the GPEB online portal. It must be filled out completely and accurately. Applications that are missing information, signatures, or required details are normally sent back without being processed, which can delay things by several weeks. The application carries a non-refundable fee of $30, payable to the Minister of Finance.

For general questions about horse racing licensing, the Horse Racing Division office is located at #220-4370 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 4L7. The main phone line is 604-660-0245, Option 5, and the fax number is 604-660-0267. For matters that relate specifically to Hastings racing activities, there is a separate contact line at 604-660-9090, with fax 604-775-1752.

It is also important to keep one key update in mind. Live Thoroughbred racing at Hastings has stopped after more than 130 years of operation due to financial strain. Because of that, anyone considering a worker licence tied to activity at Hastings should speak directly with GPEB before sending in paperwork, to confirm what is current and what is actually needed.

A typical licensing process follows these steps:

1. Download the Application for Horse Racing Licence and Registration from the official GPEB portal.
2. Complete all required sections of the form. Partial or incomplete submissions are not accepted.
3. Prepare payment of the non-refundable $30 fee, payable to the Minister of Finance.
4. If any part of the form or requirements is unclear, contact the Horse Racing Division before you submit.
5. File the finished application with the fee, using the submission method listed on the document.
6. Wait for written confirmation of your licence or registration status before engaging in activities that fall under GPEB regulation.

Registration Types At A Glance

The entry check at the casino and a horse racing worker licence sit on different tracks, with different supervising authorities and different outcomes. If you are coming in simply to play slots or electronic games, the table above effectively stops for you at the first line. The remaining registration types apply only if you join loyalty programs, bet via BC Racebook, or are involved in the racing industry itself.

Simulcast Wagering And BC Racebook

Now that live racing at Hastings Park is no longer running, simulcast betting with BC Racebook has become the practical route for horseplayers linked to the Hastings name. BC Racebook is a provincially approved off-track betting platform, offering simulcast races along with handicapping contests and various related promotions under its own terms.

Opening a BC Racebook account is its own registration flow on that platform. It is not tied to the ID check at our doors, and our casino team does not create that account for you. If your focus is on continuing to wager on horse racing, the right move is to visit bcracebook.com directly and follow their account setup, terms and conditions, and funding rules.

While the live racing calendar at Hastings has changed, our casino floor at 188 N Renfrew St remains fully open within standard hours. Slot machines and electronic table games continue to operate as usual. The Hastings Casino brand is still very much active; it is the live Thoroughbred racing side that has shifted.

Who Regulates What On Site

Hastings Racecourse & Casino operates under a shared framework of provincial oversight. The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) oversees both casino activity and horse racing licensing throughout British Columbia. Alongside GPEB, the BC Lottery Corporation provides another layer of oversight for casino gaming at properties like ours.

As of November 2025, the casino was acquired by TWN. Great Canadian Entertainment, which previously operated under the name Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, had held the operating lease for the Hastings Park site from the City of Vancouver. All of the registration, ID checking, and compliance obligations you see on property sit within the venue’s operational structure and must comply with BC regulatory standards.

The Hastings venue has been part of Vancouver’s gaming and sports story for well over a century. It is recognised as the city’s longest continuously used professional sports facility. That history does not change how your registration works today, but it gives some context. You are not just walking into a generic casino floor, you are entering a long-running local property with deep roots.

Getting To The Property

Hastings Racecourse & Casino is situated roughly 6 km from downtown Vancouver. Public transit connections are straightforward. Bus routes 16, 135, and 160 serve the area, and Renfrew SkyTrain Station is the closest rapid transit stop. In the past, a complimentary shuttle from Renfrew Station operated on live race days; whether anything similar remains available now that racing has ceased is worth checking directly with current operator communications.

On-site parking is available for guests who drive. If you want to confirm entry details, gaming floor offerings, or operating hours before you head out, you can contact the casino directly at 604-254-1631. For racing-related questions, especially around worker licensing or past racing operations, the 604-660-9090 line remains the right contact.

One practical note that applies not only to our venue but to casino visits generally: if it is your first time in and you are uncertain whether your ID will be accepted, bringing a passport usually makes the process faster. It avoids going back and forth at the door over secondary documents and lets the ID check move along with minimal delay.