Maple Ridge bingo hall sold to casino operator

Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has bought a Maple Ridge bingo hall for $1 million, with a view to making it a larger community gaming centre with slot machines in the future.

The casino operator said the agreement to acquire the 525-seat Haney Bingo Plex from the Ridge Meadows Bingo Association includes potential future considerations of up to $1.25 million over 10 years.

Great Canadian said the purchase should be completed by the end of this year if approvals to establish a community gaming centre are granted by the B.C. Lottery Corp. and the district of Maple Ridge.

The bingo hall currently operates seven days a week at 11187 224th Street. Potential future expansion would involve a 1.6-hectare vacant land parcel acquired by Great Canadian last year about a kilometre away in downtown Maple Ridge.

The company said it expects little or no change to the bingo hall's operation while it considers this "longer term potential redevelopment."

Maple Ridge Mayor Gordon Robson said the district endorses the community gaming centre concept and is "very excited" at the bingo hall sale, which has been in negotiations for more than a year.

"We went through a public consultation process last year and decided the community had no objection to expanded gaming," he said in an interview. "There was very, very little opposition, even from church groups."

BCLC vice-president Kevin Gass said a new Maple Ridge community gaming centre is consistent with the lottery corporation's strategy to transform bingo halls into multi-purpose facilities with bingo, slot machines and higher-end food and beverage amenities.

He said the new gaming centre would likely start with 50 slot machines and increase to a maximum of 150, depending on market demand. Off-track betting on horse races will also be considered.

Robson said about 35 local charities that benefit from the bingo hall operations support the sale and creation of a larger community gaming centre.

"The bingo hall has had a parking problem since its inception and we look forward to this as an opportunity to redevelop our downtown," he said. "The gaming centre would just be a small part of what we expect to see as a result of this freeing up some land."