Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, in conjunction with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and Interblock, has opened Pulse Arena, an immersive, multi-sensory gaming space that is, claimed the casino operator, the first of its kind in BC.

Positioned on the gaming floor at Grand Villa Casino in Burnaby,  Pulse Arena features 35 interconnected gaming stations all supported by lights, sound and a 30-foot digital wall. The “high-energy gaming experience” brings together electronic table games, live dealer games and interactive play.

Rowland England, Vice President, Operations BC West, explained: “We are excited to introduce Pulse Arena exclusively at Grand Villa Burnaby. It allows us to offer a unique gaming experience that can be tailored to meet the changing needs of our customers at any time of the day or week. This immersive gaming experience can only be found at Gateway Casinos properties in Canada and is the first-of-its-kind in BC.”

Players are able to play up to three games at once with their choice of Baccarat, Blackjack, and Roulette. The dealers, who are referred to as “games entertainers” in Pulse Arena, incorporate entertainment into the experience, which can be viewed by all players through a live feed on the video wall located at the front of the space.

“We truly value our partnership with Gateway Casinos and BCLC,” said Burton Poitras, Interblock’s Vice President of Sales and Service, Canada. “The launch of the PULSE Arena at Grand Villa Casino will bring new, cutting-edge technology to the casino floor and we look forward to their players enjoying the many games offered.”

As well as assisting with the games, with just the touch of a button the games entertainers alter the lights, music and volume in the area to achieve a variety of moods – from a high-energy, club-like environment to a more mellow, daytime mood. Pulse Arena creates both an individual experience and social play with friends. 

“The Pulse Arena is a great example of how BCLC is listening to player feedback, improving our technologies, and modernizing the industry,” said Brad Desmarais, BCLC’s Vice President of Casino and Community Gaming. “BCLC is constantly looking to bring fresh and innovative games to our players in B.C. and we’re thrilled to do just that with the introduction of Pulse Arena at Grand Villa Casino in Burnaby.”