Great Canadian Entertainment is a Canadian gaming, entertainment and

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...

company. Prior to its acquisition by

Apollo Global Management Apollo Global Management, Inc. is an American asset management firm that primarily invests in alternative assets. , the company had $548 billion of assets under management, including $392 billion invested in credit, including mezzanine capita ...

in September 2021, the company was listed on the

Toronto Stock Exchange The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX; ) is a stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the List of stock exchanges, 10th largest exchange in the world and the third largest in North America based on market capitalization. Based in th ...

and was part of the

S&P/TSX Composite Index The S&P/TSX Composite Index is the benchmark Canadian stock market index representing roughly 70% of the total market capitalization on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Having replaced the TSE 300 Composite Index on May 1, 2002, the S&P/TSX Com ...

Overview

Great Canadian operates gaming properties in Canada, consisting of casinos, horse

race tracks A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

(with slot machines), and smaller-scale gaming centres. It also runs hotels, restaurants, and entertainment facilities associated with its properties. As of the third quarter of 2017, 67% of revenue was from gaming. As of 2018, it had 9,400 employees. In 2016, 61% of revenues were from

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, 17% were from

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, 15% were from Atlantic Canada, and the rest were from the United States. In total, Great Canadian properties include 16,000 slot machines, 386 table games, 80 dining establishments and 500 hotel rooms. In 2017, the company's gross gaming revenue was about $1.2 billion, with net earnings for 2017 of $85.7 million.

History

The company was founded in 1982 as the Great Canadian Casino Company. It initially operated charity casinos and a casino at

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

Pacific National Exhibition The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is a nonprofit organization that operates an annual 15-day summer fair, 12-day winter fair, a seasonal amusement park, and indoor arenas in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The PNE fair is held at Hastings ...

. In 1986, it opened its first permanent casino in

. It held an IPO on the

TSX Venture Exchange The TSX Venture Exchange is a stock exchange in Canada. It is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. All trading through the Exchange is done electronically, so the Exchange does n ...

in 1992, and renamed itself the Great Canadian Gaming Company in 1997. In 2004, it listed on the

. In 2005, it acquired a number of casinos in Ontario and Nova Scotia. As a result of these acquisitions, it breached debt agreements in March 2006. Great Canadian has been investigated for money laundering that allegedly took place at their River Rock Casino Resort. The company has released a statement saying that it has followed all the necessary procedures. In August 2017, Great Canadian (in cooperation with

Brookfield Property Partners Brookfield Property Partners L.P. is a limited partnership that owns office buildings and shopping centers/shopping malls, as well as minority limited partner interests in investment funds sponsored by affiliates that invest in other types of comm ...

) won a bidding process to take over the slots facility at

Woodbine Racetrack Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The track ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

from the OLG. It also took over the slots at the Ajax Downs track and the Great Blue Heron Casino. The then-opposition Ontario PCs called for the deal to be halted due to the money laundering allegations. In December 2017, Great Canadian (in cooperation with Clairvest Group) won a process to take over four more OLG facilities. In January 2021, president and CEO Rodney Baker resigned after he and his wife were discovered to have booked a private plane to travel to

Beaver Creek, Yukon Beaver Creek is a community in Yukon, Canada. Located at kilometre 1870.6 (historical mile 1202) of the Alaska Highway, southeast of Beaver Creek Airport and close to the Alcan - Beaver Creek Border Crossing, it is Canada's westernmost communit ...

and deceived medical personnel by saying they were local motel workers to obtain doses of a

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...

intended for the indigenous community. In September 2021, the company was acquired by

in an all-cash deal and its shares were delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Properties

British Columbia

* River Rock Casino Resort in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, the largest casino in British Columbia. The property also includes a theatre and two hotels. This casino was opened in 2004, replacing a previous casino on the site. * Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in

Coquitlam Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the List of cities in British Columbia, sixth-largest city in the province, with an estimated population of 174,248 in 2024, and one of th ...

, which also includes a theatre. The casino originally opened as Boulevard Casino in 2001, and re-branded itself in 2013. *

Hastings Racecourse Hastings Racecourse is a horse-racing facility at Hastings Park, four miles from Downtown Vancouver. Originally called East Park, it opened for business in 1889, making it Vancouver's longest continuously used professional sports facility. The rac ...

, which also includes 600 slot machines. The company acquired the race track in 2004. * Elements Casino Surrey in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

* Elements Casino Chilliwack in

Chilliwack Chilliwack ( ) is a city of about 100,000 people and in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located about east of the City of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley. The enumerated population is 93,203 in the city and 113,767 in the gr ...

* Chances Maple Ridge in Maple Ridge * Chances Dawson Creek in

Dawson Creek Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after ...

Ontario

Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto 2023

* Casino Ajax at Ajax Downs in

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...

* Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto at

* Great Blue Heron Casino in Scugog Island * Pickering Casino Resort in Pickering * Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands in

Gananoque Gananoque ( ) is a town in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville of Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,383 year-round residents in the 2021 Canadian Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" becau ...

* Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs, a race track in Fraserville, south of

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

. This track has been reopened in spring 2019 with only 150 slots and racetrack since the opening of the new Shorelines Casino in Peterborough. * Shorelines Casino Belleville in Belleville. This casino opened on January 11, 2017, and was the first new casino in Ontario since 2006. * Shorelines Casino Peterborough in

, opened in 2018 * Georgian Downs, a race track in

Innisfil Innisfil is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County, immediately south of Barrie and north of Toronto. It has historically been a rural area, but since it is geographically sandwiched between th ...

, acquired in 2005 * Elements Casino Flamboro at

Flamboro Downs Flamboro Downs is a half-mile harness horse racing track in Flamborough, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is also home to Flamboro Slots, which has a total of 808 slot machines. The racetrack was founded in 1971 by Charles Juravinski and acquired ...

, a race track in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

, acquired in 2005 * Elements Casino Brantford, formerly OLG Casino Brantford, acquired in 2018 * Elements Casino Grand River at Grand River Raceway, formerly OLG Slots Grand River * Elements Casino Mohawk at

Mohawk Racetrack Mohawk Racetrack (renamed Woodbine Mohawk Park in 2018) is a harness racing track in Campbellville, Ontario. It is owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group (known as Ontario Jockey Club until 2001) and is about 40 km southwest of the company's ...

, former OLG Slots Mohawk

Atlantic Canada

* Casino Nova Scotia Halifax, acquired in 2005 * Casino Nova Scotia Sydney, acquired in 2005 * Casino New Brunswick in

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...

, acquired in 2015

References

{{Reflist Apollo Global Management companies Companies based in North York Gambling companies of Canada Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Gambling companies established in 1982 1992 initial public offerings