A resort in lake country with a spa and free parking, or a downtown floor with a city outside the door. The two formats suit completely different trips — here is how to tell which is yours.
The seventeen properties in this guide divide cleanly along one line: whether the property is the destination, or the city around it is. Getting that choice right matters more than any score we publish, because a resort booked by someone who wanted a city break is a disappointment regardless of how good the resort is.
A casino resort has grounds. It has a spa, a pool, usually a theatre, almost always free parking, and enough on site that a two- or three-night stay never requires leaving. Casino Rama sits in Ontario lake country; River Cree has two NHL-sized ice rinks; Casino du Lac-Leamy has a lake and a beach; River Rock has a marina on the Fraser River. You arrive, you stay, and the property is the holiday.
A city casino is a floor in a real place. Parq Vancouver is a block from BC Place; Casino de Montréal is on an Expo 67 island ten minutes from downtown; Casino Nova Scotia is on the Halifax boardwalk; Cowboys Casino is walkable from central Calgary hotels. The gaming floor is one evening option among many, and the city does the rest of the work — which also means these properties are often smaller, and several have no rooms at all.
Most resort properties require a car. Most city properties do not have rooms. Those two facts settle the choice more often than any score.
Properties with grounds, on-site amenities and enough to fill two or three nights.
Niagara Falls · 374
The largest casino floor in Canada, sitting directly above the Horseshoe Falls. If you are going to visit one Canadian casino hotel, this is the one.
Richmond · 396
British Columbia's largest gaming floor and its most complete resort — ten minutes from Vancouver airport on the SkyTrain.
Windsor · 758 across two towers
The strongest entertainment programme of any Canadian casino hotel, wrapped around a 758-room resort on the Detroit River.
Gatineau · 349 (Hilton Lac-Leamy)
Quebec's true casino hotel: a five-star Hilton attached to a lakeside gaming floor, five minutes from downtown Ottawa.
Pickering · approx. 300
The newest large-scale casino resort in the country and the most convenient full-size floor for anyone based in Toronto.
Orillia · 289
Cottage-country resort gaming 90 minutes north of Toronto, with a 5,000-seat entertainment centre and the calmest big floor in Ontario.
Enoch (Edmonton) · 249 (Marriott)
Alberta's largest gaming floor, an attached Marriott and two NHL-sized ice rinks — the most unusual amenity mix in Canadian casino hotels.
Urban floors where the surrounding city is the reason to book. Several have no rooms of their own — check the quick facts in each review.
Vancouver · 517 across two hotels
The most architecturally ambitious casino hotel in Canada: two hotels, a rooftop park and a compact, beautifully finished gaming floor in downtown Vancouver.
Pickering · approx. 300
The newest large-scale casino resort in the country and the most convenient full-size floor for anyone based in Toronto.
Montreal · None — downtown Montreal hotels 10 minutes away
The most architecturally remarkable casino in Canada — the Expo 67 French pavilion, five floors of gaming, no hotel of its own.
Coquitlam · None — hotels nearby in Coquitlam
A 1,100-seat theatre and a busy suburban gaming floor 30 minutes east of Vancouver — strong on live music, no rooms of its own.
Langley · 78 (attached Coast hotel)
The Fraser Valley's casino hotel: an attached 78-room hotel, the region's largest convention space and honest mid-market pricing.
Niagara Falls · None — partner hotels within walking distance
The older, cheaper and more relaxed of the two Niagara Falls gaming floors — with no rooms of its own.
Halifax · Adjacent Marriott Harbourfront, direct access
A small harbourfront floor with a Marriott attached — the most walkable casino hotel setting in Atlantic Canada.
Winnipeg · None — Winnipeg hotels 15–20 minutes away
Winnipeg's most visitor-friendly gaming floor, with a 1,200-seat event centre and the best bingo programme in western Canada.
Calgary · 108
South Calgary's stay-and-play option: 108 rooms attached to a modest gaming floor, a live music room and easy highway access.
Regina · None — downtown Regina hotels within walking distance
A mid-sized gaming floor inside a restored 1912 railway station — the most characterful casino building in western Canada.
Calgary · None — downtown Calgary hotels nearby
A downtown Calgary gaming floor with a genuine nightlife programme, beside the Stampede grounds — no rooms of its own.
Book a resort if you are travelling with a partner or a group for two or more nights, you have a car, you want a spa and a pool in the price, and you would rather not think about logistics once you arrive. River Cree near Edmonton is the value pick; Casino Rama is the pick for Ontario lake country; Casino du Lac-Leamy if you want Ottawa sightseeing attached.
Book a city property if you are travelling alone or for one night, you are flying in without a car, you want restaurants and sights that have nothing to do with the casino, or you are combining the trip with something else entirely. River Rock is the best of both — resort-grade, on a marina, and eight minutes from Vancouver airport on the SkyTrain.
Compare All 17 PropertiesDisclaimer
This comparison is published for informational purposes only. Canada Hideaways is not affiliated with any property named here and does not operate any casino or gambling facility. Gambling age is 18+ or 19+ depending on province. Please gamble responsibly — see our responsible gaming resources.