Gateway Casino sues Langley, claiming $10 payout for expropriated land for SkyTrain expansion caused revenue loss and disruption.
Gateway Casino Challenges Langley Over Tiny Payout
In a surprising legal move, Gateway Casino & Entertainment Limited is taking the City of Langley to court, claiming the municipality offered a mere $10 for land seized to make way for the SkyTrain expansion. The lawsuit, filed March 2, 2026, in B.C. Supreme Court, centers on a 0.25-hectare parcel near the Cascades Casino in Langley.
Gateway operates 31 gaming properties across Canada, with nearly half in B.C., including the Langley Cascades Casino, the province’s largest facility under the Cascade brand.
What’s at Stake for the Casino
The Langley Cascades Casino isn’t small change. Open for over 20 years, it boasts a 70,000-square-foot gaming floor, a 50,000-square-foot hotel, and a massive four-level parking garage spanning 158,000 square feet.
In 2018, Mesirow Financial purchased the land from Gateway in a $500-million deal that included other B.C. casinos. Despite leasing the land back to Gateway, the company claims it is entitled to protections under B.C.’s Expropriation Act.
SkyTrain Expansion Sparks Dispute
The lawsuit revolves around the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, a 16-kilometre project stretching from King George Station in Surrey to 203rd Street in Langley. Eight new stations are planned along the nearly $6-billion corridor, which is expected to open by late 2029 and cut travel time to downtown Vancouver to just over an hour.
Gateway alleges that the City of Langley expropriated 25,357 square feet of its property permanently and claimed a temporary statutory right of way over another 1,537 square feet to build a new SkyTrain station—all for $10.
Casino Faces Revenue Hit and Operational Challenges
The lawsuit details how the expropriation has caused major disruptions. Gateway claims it lost 55 prime parking spots and had to shift the casino entrance to a less favourable location. Traffic changes have allegedly reduced visitor numbers, hitting revenue and forcing the company to bear the brunt of ongoing construction impacts.
The company seeks “disturbance damages,” compensation for lost business, and what it describes as “adequate compensation” under the Expropriation Act.
Langley Responds with Caution
City spokesperson Ram Chungh confirmed the expropriation was part of transportation and access improvements tied to the 203A Street SkyTrain station. While acknowledging a compensation claim has been filed, he stressed that details cannot be discussed due to ongoing litigation.
Previous legal actions by Mesirow Financial, the landowner, over the same parcels were reported earlier this year, but no claims have yet been tested in court. Gateway spokesperson Tanya Gabara confirmed the lawsuit but declined further comment.
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