BCLC sued for misleading casino developer on gaming projects for First Nations

A casino and gaming developer is taking the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) to the court, claiming the corporation led it on the possibility of opening gaming facilities on North Shore, only to award the exclusive to another company.

Pinnacle Gaming Solutions is owned by North Vancouver resident David Moretto. In his lawsuit filed last Jan. 8, Moretto said his company was retained by several First Nations, including the Tsleil-Waututh, in October 2007 to help them with “the prospect of developing gaming facilities on their lands.”

According to a North Shore News report, which quoted the lawsuit, Moretto and the Tsleil-Waututh had an agreement that Pinnacle will be its agent in developing a casino in their land. Among Pinnacle’s responsibilities is to talk to BCLC and go through the necessary process for licensing. If the development pushes through, Pinnacle will receive a percentage of the casino’s gross revenues.

From 2008 to 2015, Pinnacle representatives met with their BCLC counterparts, including BCLC presidents Michael Graydon and Jim Lightbody, to talk about the gaming facilities project for the First Nations, according to a The Province report.