[UPDATED] Vancouver casino accused of profiling Drake responds

Nov 4 2018, 12:23 am

Early Saturday morning, superstar Canadian rapper Drake called out Vancouver’s Parq Casino on his Instagram story, claiming that staff profiled him and would not let him gamble.

Drake had appeared at Fortune Sound Club earlier in the night as a surprise for partygoers enjoying a set by OVO DJs Night Owl Sound ahead of his two shows in Vancouver this weekend at Rogers Arena.

In the wee hours of the morning, the artist posted his negative experience with the casino on Instagram and the establishment has been taking heat from super fans of Drizzy on their social channels ever since.

In an official response, Narinder Nagra, Director of Resort Marketing, said that Parq Vancouver was “sorry to hear about this experience” and that they were “actively investigating” the matter.

Nagra also mentioned the casino has made “several efforts” to reach out to Drake to discuss the issue.

Here is Parq’s statement at this time:

“Parq Vancouver is sorry to hear about this experience and takes these matters very seriously. We are required to adhere to strict regulations with respect to gaming in British Columbia. We are actively investigating this matter and have made several efforts to reach out to the guest and his team to discuss the issue. We are committed to having a productive conversation to resolve this issue.”

In an effort to prevent money laundering in BC casinos, the provincial government recently changed laws where any player wanting to buy in for $10,000 or more in one or more transactions needs to provide a source of funds receipt.

Without knowledge of the new law, anyone entering a BC casino expecting to play big without proper documentation would be faced with disappointment. And regardless of a guest’s fame, skirting the law could mean a loss of gambling license for a casino.

UPDATE: 4:56 pm

Parq Vancouver President Joe Brunini has issued the following statement:

“You may be aware of a situation at our casino last night. On behalf of Parq Vancouver we would like to apologize for the experience our customer had. We are operating in one of the most complex, highly regulated industries and are always looking to better our communication and customer service. We are constantly improving our communications process to ensure that these new regulations are better understood by all guests. We categorically stand against racism of any kind. We are committed to providing a safe, secure, and enjoyable experience for all.”

Daily Hive was unable to reach spokespeople for Drake.

More to come as this develops…

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