New Westminster Casino Online Primer
This page walks a first visit from the front door to the way home. The casino in town is Starlight Casino, in the Queensborough neighbourhood.
The visit has five steps. Read them in order, or jump straight to the one you need.
What to bring with you
- Bring government-issued photo ID. Every guest is scanned at the door, and looking older is no exception.
- Set a spending limit at home. The amount is easier to choose on the couch than beside a machine.
- Pick a time to leave as well. A phone alarm does the job and saves an argument with yourself later.
- Plan a way home before setting out. Starlight keeps its doors open all day and all night, every day, so the casino itself will never call an end to your night.
- Keep the address handy: 350 Gifford Street, New Westminster, in Queensborough. It helps any driver, map app or friend find the front door.
The ID scan at the door
Since June 26, 2023, every person walking into a B.C. casino must present a government-issued photo ID. Security scans it at the entrance. The scan checks it against a list of people restricted from entering. That list includes people enrolled in Game Break, a program for those who chose to stay away from casinos.
Once a guest is admitted, the system stores none of their personal details. B.C. was the first jurisdiction in North America to require ID at the casino door.
It is quick and routine. Nobody is singled out, because every single guest goes through the same step.
On the floor at Starlight
Starlight Casino sits at 350 Gifford Street in Queensborough, and it never closes. The casino never shuts: day and night, all week, all year long. There is no charge to park, and you can use several outdoor lots or a parkade that brings you straight to the front door.
Inside, the floor holds more than 935 slot machines. There are also 54 live table games: baccarat, blackjack, craps, pai gow and roulette. Live means a real dealer runs each table, dealing cards or spinning the wheel. Standing back to watch a few rounds before sitting down is perfectly normal.
Poker has its own seven-table room off the main floor. It runs Sunday to Thursday from 11AM until late, and around the clock on Friday and Saturday.
For a break, there is the RedBar Lounge with live entertainment, MATCH Eatery & Public House, and Kirin Restaurant.
Starlight Casino New Westminster · 350 Gifford Street · 604-777-2946 · official site ↗, unpaid link · Directions in Google Maps
Your limit, set in advance
Two numbers matter before going in: how much money to spend and what time to leave. Type both into the boxes below. The page turns them into a short note to keep on your phone, ready to read on the floor.
What about playing online
A partner operates the online casino behind this page's Online casino button. This site, PlayNow and the province are not that partner. The partner behind the button can change over time. This site earns a commission when people use it.
PlayNow.com is the province's own online gambling site, run by BCLC. Nobody pays this site to mention it.
This is a paid ad, for adults 19+ only. Play responsibly and stop at the limit you set. Gambling Support BC answers 24/7 at no cost on 1-888-795-6111.
PlayNow.com is the province's own site. Not paid.
Metro Vancouver · nine casinos
The nine casinos of Metro Vancouver
The five steps above are about Starlight, the casino in New Westminster. Metro Vancouver has eight more. The farthest, Cascades Casino Langley, sits 21.6 km away in a straight line. Each name below opens this guide's page on it, with how a first visit differs.
3.9 kmStarlight Casino New WestminsterNew Westminster · Open 24 hours, 365 days a yearDirections
5.9 kmGreat Canadian Casino VancouverCoquitlam · Tables Mon to Thu 10AM to 4AM; Fri 10AM to Mon 4AM non-stopDirections
9 kmGrand Villa Casino BurnabyBurnaby · Open 24 hours, 365 days a yearDirections
12.9 kmHastings CasinoVancouver · Sun to Thu 11AM to 12AM; Fri and Sat 11AM to 2AMDirections
15.1 kmCascades Casino DeltaDelta · Sun to Thu 11AM to 12AM; Fri and Sat 11AM to 2AMDirections
15.8 kmRiver Rock Casino ResortRichmond · Tables Mon to Thu 10AM to 4AM; Fri 10AM to Mon 4AM non-stopDirections
16.6 kmParq CasinoVancouver · Open 24 hours, 7 days a weekDirections
16.7 kmElements Casino SurreySurrey · Mon to Thu 10AM to 4AM; Fri to Sun 24 hoursDirections
21.6 kmCascades Casino LangleyLangley · Open 24 hours, 365 days a yearDirections
Kilometres in a straight line from central New Westminster, not by road. Each name opens this guide's page about that casino; all nine on one page.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons, cropped: Hastings by Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0; River Rock by Arnold C, Attribution; Parq by Wpcpey, CC BY-SA 4.0; Elements by Leoboudv, CC BY-SA 4.0; Cascades Langley by Arnold C, Attribution.
First-timer questions
Questions people ask first
Is this site a casino?
No, this site is an independent guide to the casino in town. No bets are placed here, and there are no accounts.
Do people who look older still need ID?
Yes, government-issued photo ID is required from everyone who comes in. Security scans each one, no matter how old the person seems.
Is there a dress code?
This guide does not list one. Call Starlight at 604-777-2946 to ask before going.
Is parking at Starlight free?
Yes, parking at Starlight is complimentary. You can use a parkade that leads you right to the front door, or one of several outdoor lots. If you need RV parking, ask and it can be arranged.
Does the casino ever close?
Starlight never shuts its doors: they are open at every hour of every day, for all 365 days. Plan the trip home ahead, because closing time will not do it for you.
Where does the Online casino button go?
It points to a paid partner's online casino, not to PlayNow or the province. That partner may be replaced, and a commission goes to this site.
Who made this
About this guide
The Quayside desk, the guide's in-house team of editors, writes every page and puts its name to each one instead of a personal byline. Its readers are people who have never set foot in a casino.
Facts come from each casino's own pages and from BCLC, checked on the date shown below. Anything the editors could not confirm is left out, which is why some answers are simply a phone number.
The guide's editorial team, facts checked October 2026