Snuneymuxw First Nation to become largest Indigenous-led casino operator in the province
Snuneymuxw said Petroglyph Development Group is expected to become one of the largest casino operators by revenue in the province. (Lauryn Mackenzie/CHLY 101.7FM)
Snuneymuxw First Nation is once again celebrating, with the acquisition of two new casinos on the mainland.
On Thursday, October 30th, Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Mike Wyse made the announcement that the Petroglyph Development Group (PDG), Snuneymuxw’s economic development corporation, has entered into a definitive agreement with Great Canadian Entertainment to purchase two casinos.
River Rock Casino in Richmond and Chances in Maple Ridge. River Rock is British Columbia’s largest casino.
CHLY was at the announcement when Chief Wyse told the crowd that the purchases of the casinos are built on the Nation’s dream of economic independence.
“ PDG is in a unique and strong position. We've established a solid foundation of recurring revenue and built a trusted relationship with the First Nations Finance Authority,” Wyse said. “This means we can pursue greater opportunities while maintaining a thoughtful balance between strategic investment, responsible debt, and sustainable revenue growth.”
Wyse said the purchases will help strengthen financial independence, with revenues to be invested into projects such as financial supports for Elders 65 or older, bursaries and sponsorships, and community firewood and recycling programs.
“ The profits will also help grow our economy with new housing, supported health and education, and build more wealth,” he said. “We are building businesses that keep profits at home, on the island and in the province. Every dollar directly supports Snuneymuxw, our people's priorities, and the communities we serve.”
These acquisitions build upon two other casinos owned by PDG, Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria, which were acquired in 2024 from Great Canadian Entertainment.
Snuneymuxw said Petroglyph Development Group is expected to become one of the largest casino operators by revenue in the province, and anticipates becoming the largest Canadian Indigenous-owned gaming operator in the country.
Wyse spoke to the media after the announcement, stating they wanted to purchase the two casinos on the mainland to bring in as many opportunities for his community.
“I guess with our experience to date, we're very young in this industry and looking at what it could possibly bring to our communities. First Nations have been looking at these opportunities for a number of years, and it came to us quite early,” Wyse said. “So we explored it, and the opportunity was there, and it worked out for Snuneymuxw. So we looked at that very seriously, and here we are today. We're very excited to see how it's going to support our communities moving forward.”
Wyse said the previous casino purchases have brought opportunities to Snuneymuxw.
“Just looking at the opportunities that it could provide for your own community looked very promising for our community, so we explored those opportunities as a whole. Looking at the first two and what they brought to our community to date has been very tremendous,” he said. “These other two opportunities that came to us very quickly, we definitely took an exploration of that.”
Terrance Doyle, president of Great Canadian Entertainment, told the media the purchase price of the casinos has not been disclosed, as it is not customary to release the details of the purchase price.
Doyle said there is still a bit of work that needs to be done, so there is no exact date for when the ownership of the two casinos will officially be transferred to Snuneymuxw.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.