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Artist News
Canadian casino denies racially profiling Drake
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 5 November 2018
A casino in Vancouver has denied an accusation of racism made by Drake this weekend. The rapper says that he was racially profiled and refused access to the venue.
In an Instagram story on Saturday, Drake wrote: “Parq casino is the worst run business I have ever witnessed, profiling me and not allowing me to gamble when I had everything they originally asked me for”.
In an initial statement issued shortly after that post had been made, the casino said: “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 customer and his team to discuss the issue. We are committed to having a productive conversation to resolve this issue”.
Later in the day, it then issued a second statement saying: “We would like to apologise 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”.
The regulations the company refers to are seemingly related to recently introduced new rules on high stakes games played in the Canadian province, which were put in place after evidence of money laundering in such games was discovered in British Columbia.
Since January, gamblers must provide information on the source of any funds over $10,000 they wish to play with. The transaction receipt must be from the same day and display various details about where the money came from.
