RCMP Investigates Fight At Grand Villa Casino
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Recently, a video emerged on numerous social media platforms. In it, it is clear that a fight broke out between several individuals at Grand Villa Casino Hotel & Conference Centre.
Located in Burnaby, British Columbia, the venue has only been reopened for two weeks after not being able to operate for almost 18 months. In the video, two men can be seen engaging in a physical fight right at the centre of the casino’s most central areas while bystanders and members of staff look on, with many of them trying their best to put an end to the altercation.
Grand Villa Has Made Headlines Before
This fight does not mark the first time that Grand Villa Casino has made headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2019, the casino was accused of racially profiling Siobhan Barker who was visiting one of the establishment’s dining facilities. She was stopped by security, who checked her bag and delayed her from leaving the casino by 40 minutes. In the year following the incident, Ms Barker filed a human rights complaint against Grand Villa.
The casino has also been suspected of tax evasion. In February last year, the Canada Revenue Agency made it mandatory for all slot machine attendants to pay taxes on the tips they receive while working on the floor. This is because several employees, such as Cheng Xia from Grand Villa Casino, managed to double their annual income off of tips alone. In court, Mr Xia claimed that the funds were not taxable as they came directly from players’ winnings.
Altercation Now Under Investigation
Burnaby’s RCMP confirmed to local media that they are already conducting their investigation into last week’s altercation on the casino’s property. Authorities have said that at least five people were involved in the brawl, including staff members who were trying to stop it from continuing.
The video footage was originally shared in a private message to a WhatsApp group. However, it later spread to Twitter and quickly became viral after that. According to the RCMP, the parties involved suffered only minor injuries. Police received a report of the incident from the casino’s security team on 8 July. When the RCMP arrived on the scene, they found one man with minor injuries. He required a few stitches. The RCMP confirmed that the fight was quickly broken up by the security team at Grand Villa.
