Why is Great Canadian Entertainment Selling Off Casinos?
Posted on: January 7, 2026, 09:37h.
Last updated on: January 7, 2026, 10:05h.
- Media reporting says Great Canadian Entertainment sold off casino properties to pay down debt
- Casino Vancouver is the latest property to be sold
- OLG hires new Chief Lottery Officer
Some good reporting by the Times Colonist in British Columbia is shedding light on the reason why casino operator Great Canadian Entertainment has been offloading multiple BC casinos over the past year.
The latest piece of news is the company announcement of the sale of Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam to Petroglyph Development Group (PDG) in December.
PDG is a wholly owned corporation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. That latest deal accelerated PDG’s push to become one of the largest casino-owning entities in Canada.
Casino Vancouver Sale
The Casino Vancouver deal was the fifth major casino acquisition in BC for the Snuneymuxw involving Great Canadian. Casino Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Elements Casino Victoria, River Rock Casino Resort, and Chances Maple Ridge have also been sold to PDG.
Great Canadian Entertainment also announced the sales of Elements Casino Chilliwack to Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe Management Ltd., and Hastings Casino in Vancouver to the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in 2025.
The Times Colonist quoted work done by the bond-rating agency S&P Global. A research report said Great Canadian raised $650 million to $675 million from the sale of the properties to pay down debt after a New York private equity firm purchased Great Canadian for $3.3 billion in 2021, creating a situation where investors were looking to get a return on their investment.
Great Canadian operates casino properties across Canada.
OLG Names New Chief Lottery Officer
As reported in Canadian Gaming Business, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has named Amanda Marshall as its new chief lottery officer. The announcement was made over Linkedin, which isn’t the OLG’s typical communication channel.
“In her new role with OLG, Amanda will continue to advance OLG’s Lottery business – enhancing our product portfolio, unlocking new commercial opportunities, and delivering exceptional player experiences,” the statement said. “Her stewardship will help shape the holistic customer journey across all OLG channels.”
$4.14 Billion in Lottery Proceeds
According to OLG’s “Consolidated Financials, in Fiscal 2026” (April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025), lottery proceeds totalled $4.14 billion, lottery prizing totalled $2.44 billion, and lottery commissions to retailers were $312 million. There are approximately 10K lottery terminals across the province.
On the digital lottery side (not including PROLINE or digital casino), iLottery proceeds were $297 million, and iLottery prizing was $151 million.
Other games OLG offers include 14 terminal-based games, like LOTTO MAX, 6/49, and LOTTARIO, around 50 INSTANT games, 10 digital lottery games, and around 43 digital INSTANT games.
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