The Canadian casino industry is seeing a growing shift as First Nations organizations take a larger role in owning and operating gaming properties. Across several provinces, Indigenous groups are acquiring established casinos as part of broader efforts to build independent sources of income and strengthen control over economic decisions.
The trend has moved quickly in British Columbia, where the Snuneymuxw First Nation has become one of the most active players. Over the past two years, the Vancouver Island nation has purchased five casino properties from Great Canadian Entertainment, including Casino Nanaimo, River Rock Casino Resort and Great Canadian Casino Vancouver.
The purchases reflect a long-standing goal for Snuneymuxw to become involved directly in casino ownership. The nation’s economic development organization, Petroglyph Development Group, has described the acquisitions as a way to support long-term prosperity and increase economic self-determination.
Casino Nanaimo was the first major acquisition in the group’s expansion. The deal also returned the land where the casino operates, which forms part of the Snuneymuxw xwsol’lexwel village, to the First Nation.
“It’s important to the nation for us to be reacquiring these sites by whatever means necessary,” Simpson said of that acquisition. “In this transaction, we’re paying market value for land that was taken from us, which is bittersweet, but we’re really happy to have it brought back to us.”
British Columbia Sees a Wave of Indigenous Casino Deals
Snuneymuxw’s moves have been followed by other First Nations in British Columbia. Great Canadian Entertainment has since agreed to sell additional casino operations to Indigenous groups across the province.
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation acquired the casino operations at Hastings Racecourse & Casino. The Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe took ownership of Elements Casino Chilliwack, while the Semiahmoo First Nation purchased Elements Casino Surrey at Fraser Downs.
These transactions are part of a wider push by Indigenous communities to create their own commercial revenue sources and reduce dependence on federal funding. Once the deals are completed, Great Canadian will have transferred eight of its nine British Columbia casinos to First Nations groups. The remaining property in its former portfolio will be Chances Dawson Creek.
Alberta Operators Expand Through Casino Acquisitions and Online Gaming
A similar change is taking place in Alberta, where Indigenous ownership has reshaped the casino market while the province prepares for a larger regulated online gaming sector.
At the end of 2024, Indigenous Gaming Partners, a group representing five rural Nova Scotia First Nations and working with Sonco Gaming, purchased the casino operations of Edmonton-based Pure Canadian Gaming. The agreement included Pure Casino Edmonton, Pure Casino Yellowhead, Pure Casino Calgary and Pure Casino Lethbridge.
The group continued expanding in March when Pure Casino Entertainment acquired Gamehost Inc. That purchase added several properties to its holdings, including Deerfoot Inn & Casino in southeast Calgary, Rivers Casino and Entertainment Centre in Fort McMurray, and Great Northern Casino in Grande Prairie, along with several hotels.
Indigenous Gaming Partners said the acquisitions create new income opportunities for its partner communities. Michael Peters, chairman of IGP and CEO of Glooscap Ventures, said the initial Pure acquisition helped create new revenue for member First Nations.
Glooscap First Nation earned more than $600,000 during the six months between acquiring the first group of Pure Canadian Gaming casinos and the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. The community directed those funds toward services including housing and healthcare.
Alberta’s regulated iGaming market, which opened on July 13, has also created new possibilities for Indigenous casino operators. Pure has registered a digital Pure Casino brand for customers across the province, while River Cree Resort and Casino plans to launch its own licensed online platform.
A Changing Role for Indigenous Gaming Ownership
Industry figures say the recent acquisitions show a shift toward direct ownership of gaming businesses by First Nations communities.
Anthony Novac, President of IGP partner Sonco Gaming, said Indigenous groups have growing opportunities to enter the sector. Peters said ownership gives communities greater influence over how gaming revenue supports their priorities.
“Ownership changes the conversation,” Peters said. “It creates long-term revenue, provides more influence over decision-making, and allows for more room to align business goals with community priorities. First Nations have a long history of being involved in gaming and have operated casinos successfully. What we are seeing now is an expansion of those opportunities beyond reserve lands and into broader commercial markets.
“Gaming is part of a larger economic story. Indigenous communities increasingly have the governance capacity, the capital partnerships and the strategic experience to lead major transactions. That is good for our communities, and it is also good for the industry as a whole.”
As discussions continue around possible changes to federal laws involving First Nations jurisdiction over gambling, groups such as Snuneymuxw First Nation and Pure Casino Entertainment are becoming examples of how Indigenous communities are approaching casino ownership across Canada.
Source:
Why First Nations casino gaming is entering a new era across Canada, canadiangamingbusiness.com, July 29, 2026
