Delta casino gets green light from BCLC

TheBritish Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)has approved a new gambling and entertainment facilityin Delta, B.C.

The Cascades CasinoDelta, which will be operated by Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited, is set to have a hotel, restaurants, meeting space and a casino with 500 slot machines, as well as table games.

According to a release from theBCLC, the approval follows "extensive reviews of the market opportunity, business case, health impacts and municipal approval process to ensure that the project meets legislated requirements under the Gaming Control Act."

Construction at the sitenear the Massey Tunnel at the intersection of highways 99 and 17Awill begin in early 2019, andthe casino is expected to open in mid-2020.

The release said the design of the casino reflects feedback from the public but not everyone is on board with the project.

The City of Richmond filed an objection with theBCLC, saying they were worried aboutcrime, traffic and transportation, which triggered theBCLC's legislative requirement to implement a non-binding dispute resolution process and appoint an independent, third-party mediator.

BCLCreceived the mediator's report in mid-October, which concluded that the City of Richmond did not provide supporting documentation to substantiate its concerns.