Hastings racecourse, one of Vancouver’s oldest sports venues, is shutting down live thoroughbred racing after more than 130 years, effectively drawing the curtain on traditional horse racing at Hastings Park. Operator Great Canadian Entertainment has confirmed that live racing will cease, while the on-site casino will remain open as a gaming and entertainment destination.
The move follows the decision by the government of British Columbia to end the long-standing revenue-sharing arrangement that channelled a portion of slot-machine income to support horse racing. Without this stream of gaming funds, Great Canadian argues that the economics no longer justify staging another live racing season at Hastings, despite the track’s historic importance for the provincial industry and local community.
Opened in 1889 and known for decades simply as Hastings Park, the track is widely regarded as Vancouver’s oldest continuously operating professional sports facility. Over the years it has hosted prestigious events such as the British Columbia Derby and helped launch the careers of riders who later succeeded on the global stage. Among the most famous is jockey Mario Gutierrez, who started out at Hastings before winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2012.
Reaction across the industry has been sharply divided. The local horsemen’s association has condemned the withdrawal of slot support as a breach of trust, warning that hundreds of jobs for trainers, jockeys, grooms and backstretch workers are now at risk. They argue that the decision undermines a sector already dealing with rising costs and shifting consumer preferences.
Animal-welfare advocates, however, have welcomed the end of public financial support for live racing, pointing to years of declining attendance, shrinking wagering volumes and ongoing concern about equine welfare. For them, the shutdown is another sign that traditional horse racing must reinvent itself if it wants to compete with newer forms of digital and casino-style entertainment.
For now, Hastings racecourse will continue to operate as a casino and leisure complex, with its future tied more closely to gaming than to live sport. Whether British Columbia will find a way to preserve thoroughbred racing elsewhere in the province remains an open question.
