River Rock Casino, a prominent entertainment venue in Richmond, British Columbia, has been the subject of various productions seeking filming locations. While this has generally been well received, there have been some unfortunate incidents that have garnered attention.
Unfortunate Incidents
On November 8, 2006, three photographers attempted to take pictures of actress Denise Richards during the filming of the movie Blonde and Blonder. In an ensuing argument, she allegedly threw a laptop computer belonging to one photographer off the balcony, striking the arm of an elderly lady in a wheelchair.
Loan Sharking Controversy
A report released by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation revealed that out of 56 incidents of suspected loan sharking activity at casinos in British Columbia, 34 of those incidents took place at River Rock. This controversy was further stirred when the RCMP admitted it could do little to stop loan sharking unless a victim came forward.
The most prominent case occurred when Rong Lilly Li, a suspected loan shark, disappeared after last being seen getting into a van outside the casino on May 26, 2006. Her body was finally recovered on September 9-10, 2006.
In June 2016, an audit found that the casino knowingly allowed high rollers to buy chips with funds from lenders with anti-money laundering restrictions who were being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Concerts and Pageants
River Rock Casino has also been used as a venue for various concerts and pageants. In 2009, it hosted the Miss Chinese (Vancouver) Pageant, and has also been used as a venue for Cantopop stars from Hong Kong for their North American tours.
List of Casinos in Canada
For those interested in visiting other casinos in Canada, here is a list:
- Project Sidewinder
- Wilful Blindness (2021 book)
References
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- "News Error | myTELUS". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
- "canada.com". Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
- CKNW News Talk 980 – CKNWAM Archived 2007-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
- "Richmond News – Canada Line drives massive development – May 08, 2007". Archived from the original on September 26, 2007.
- "Richmond News – Casino gets 'sweet deal' from TransLink – December 2006". Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
- "Laptops thrown by actress hit seniors: police". CBC News. 9 November 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
- "No charges against actress Richards, RCMP say". CBC News. 10 November 2006. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
- CKNW. 16 August 2006. "Crime at River Rock". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
- Skelton, Chad (16 August 2006). "Richmond sees rash of casino-related crime". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
- Bennett, Nelson (18 August 2006). "Clapham cracks down on loan sharks". Richmond News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
- Edmonds, Eve (29 September 2006). "Murder victim last seen at casino". Richmond News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
- Cooper, Sam (October 16, 2017). "B.C. casinos knowingly accepted banned cash: confidential report". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019.
- Obiko Pearson, Natalie; Sambo, Paula (April 29, 2019). "Vancouver's Once Rollicking Casinos Hit by Dirty Money Crackdown". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
Official Website
Location
- 49°11′47″N 123°07′41″W