Toronto rapper Drake has accused Vancouver’s Parq Casino of profiling him and denying him service.
In an Instagram story posted around 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning, the musician claimed he had been turned away from the gaming facility.
“Parq Casino @parqvancouverbc is the worst run business I have ever witnessed…profiling me and not allowing me to gamble when I had everything they originally asked me for,” Drake wrote.
Global News has requested comment from Drake’s management for more details about the alleged incident.
The rapper is in Vancouver ahead of Saturday and Sunday tour dates at Rogers Arena.
He also made a surprise appearance at Fortune Sound Club earlier Saturday morning.
WATCH: Drake surprises fans at Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver
In a statement released Saturday morning, Narinder Nagra, Parq’s director of resort marketing, said the company was looking into the incident.
“Parq Vancouver is sorry to hear about this experience and takes these matters very seriously. We are required to adhere to strict regulations with respect to gaming in British Columbia,” she said.
B.C. recently implemented new rules to crack down on money laundering requiring gamblers provide a “source of funds declaration,” including a receipt that shows financial institution, branch number and account number, for cash transactions exceeding $10,000 in a 24-hour period.
Parq Vancouver would not confirm if those regulations were involved in the incident.
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“We are actively investigating this matter and have made several efforts to reach out to the customer and his team to discuss the issue. We are committed to having a productive conversation to resolve this issue,” Nagra said.
WATCH: Was Canadian rap super-star Drake racially profiled in Vancouver?
On Saturday evening, Parq Vancouver’s president Joe Brunini issued a second statement, apologizing for an incident with an unnamed customer and saying that the casino rejects all forms of racism.
“We are operating in one of the most complex, highly regulated industries and are always looking to better our communication and customer service. We are constantly improving our communications process to ensure that these new regulations are better understood by all guests,” Brunini said.
The Instagram post has set off something of a social media storm.
Parq’s Instagram account and Yelp page were quickly bombarded with negative comments from Drake’s fans.
Fans also took to Twitter to weigh in on Saturday morning.
https://twitter.com/sshahnazzz/status/1058740006720692224
https://twitter.com/krysten_tucci/status/1058696410923704321
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