Live in the GTA? Land based casino fun may be closer than you think.
While Ontario is home to many brick-and-mortar casinos, did you know there are several land based gaming options located two hours or less away from Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)?
In fact, there are ten establishments offering a full casino experience (slots and live table games) including:
- Casino Rama Resort
- Casino Niagara
- Niagara Fallsview Casino and Resort
- Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto
- Pickering Casino Resort
- Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel
- Elements Casino Brantford
- Elements Casino Flamboro
- Elements Casino Mohawk
- Shorelines Casino Peterborough
I’ve created this land based gaming post to provide easy-to-find brief facts about each of the above casinos to give you a general idea of what’s available at these Ontario casino establishments and the type of experience you can expect.
Note: This list features only licensed establishments that offer a full casino experience, including slots, electronic table and card games, and live table games. Establishments that offer only slots and video machines, such as Georgian Downs, Casino Ajax, Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach, Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs, etc., have been excluded on purpose.
Land based gaming destinations in and near Toronto
The best land based gaming experiences in and just outside of the GTA can be found at the following casinos.
Side note: The following list is in no particular order. The facts I’ve included are accurate (to the best of my knowledge) as of October 2023. Also, I’ve included pictures of only some of the casinos because not every one had free images available for use.
Casino Rama Resort
(aka Casino Rama, Rama)
- Location: Rama, Ontario (just outside of Orillia)
- Address: 5899 Rama Rd, Rama, ON L3V 6H6
- Distance from Toronto by car: 158.2 km (via ON-400 S)
- First opened: July 31, 1996
- Owner and Operator: Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (owners) Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. (operator)
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking and paid valet parking available.
- Number of slot machines: 2,200
- Number of table games: 110 table games (blackjack, baccarat, mini baccarat, high stakes poker and more)
- Loyalty program: My Club Rewards Loyalty Program (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including a buffet)
- Hotel: Yes
- Live shows: Yes
- Casino Rama notable features: Casino Rama is the largest First Nation casino in Canada and Ontario’s only First Nations “commercial casino”, it is also one of the province’s oldest casinos. Over the years, it has earned a reputation for offering some of the biggest and best live acts that range from musicians to stand up comedians, magicians, acrobats, and sporting events like boxing and MMA.
- Official website: casinorama.com
- Online gaming available: No
Casino Niagara
- Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
- Address: 5705 Falls Ave, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6T3
- Distance from Toronto by car:129.2 km (via QEW)
- First opened: December 9, 1996
- Owner and Operator: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (owner) Mohegan (operator)
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Paid on-site parking (parking rate may vary)
- Number of slot machines: 1,300+
- Number of table games: 40 (Blackjack, Mississippi Stud, Roulette, Poker, and more)
- Loyalty program: Momentum Rewards Player’s Club (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: Yes
- Live shows: No
- Casino Niagara notable features: Casino Niagara is one of the oldest casinos in Ontario and was the first land based gaming destination in Ontario to feature electronic roulette. It also offers sports betting. It is known for its poker rooms, as its sister location Fallsview Casino does not offer poker, as well as for its LEVL2 Sports Bar which features a restaurant and 50 HD plasma screens.
- Official website: casinoniagara.com
- Online gaming available: No
Niagara Fallsview Casino and Resort
(aka Fallsview Casino, Fallsview)
- Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
- Address: 6380 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 7X5
- Distance from Toronto by car: 129.2 km (via QEW)
- First opened: June 10, 2004
- Owner and Operator: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (owner) Mohegan (operator)
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Paid on-site parking and complimentary parking for some rewards members
- Number of slot machines: 3,500+
- Number of table games: 130 (Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud and more. Poker is not available.)
- Loyalty program: Momentum Rewards Player’s Club (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: Yes
- Live shows & entertainment: Yes
- Fallsview Casino notable features: Fallsview was built on a cliff and overlooks the famous Horseshoe Falls (the falls on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls). It is one of the largest gaming resort facilities in Canada and many say it is its most elegant. It is home to two theatres, most notably OLG Stage, a state-of-the-art 5,000-seat theatre which hosts a myriad of entertainment acts as well as serves as the location for popular reality TV show, Canada’s Got Talent.
- Official website: fallsviewcasinoresort.com
- Online gaming available: Yes (PlayFallsview)
Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto
(aka Woodbine Casino, Great Canadian)
- Location: Toronto (Etobicoke), Ontario
- Address: 1133 Queens Plate Dr, Toronto, ON M9W 0G4
- Distance from Toronto by car: 29.2 km (via Gardiner Expy E)
- First opened: June 20, 2023
- Owner and Operator: Great Canadian Entertainment and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking
- Number of slot machines: 4,800
- Number of table games: 145 (Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Casino War, Craps, Fire Bet Craps and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: Yes
- Live shows & entertainment: Coming Soon
- Great Canadian Casino Resort notable features: Spanning 33 acres, it is the newest and largest casino in Ontario and Canada and features a modern Vegas-style design. It has exclusive VIP rooms and state-of-the-art sports betting kiosks. Additionally, it will soon open a 5,000-seat live entertainment venue. The casino is steps away from Woodbine Racetrack, a racetrack for thoroughbred horse racing in Toronto that opened in 1956). Great Canadian is only a 7 minute drive to Toronto Pearson International Airport.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/toronto
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
Pickering Casino Resort
(aka Pickering Casino)
- Location: Pickering, Ontario
- Address: 888 Durham Live Ave, Pickering, ON L1W 0C1
- Distance from Toronto by car: 44.6 km (via ON 401 Express and Don Valley Pkwy S)
- First opened: July 26, 2021
- Owner and Operator: Great Canadian Entertainment, One Toronto Gaming and Brookfield Business Partners LP.
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking
- Number of slot machines: 2,200+
- Number of table games: 90+ (Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: Yes
- Live shows & entertainment: Yes
- Pickering Casino Resort notable features: In addition to a wide range of slots and table games, the casino has the Great Canadian Sportsbook, a dedicated lounge where players can watch their favourite teams compete. It is also home to The Arena, a 2,500-seat entertainment venue that features live events including concerts, sports action and other special events. Most notably, Bryan Adams held a concert for The Arena’s grand opening back in October 2022.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/pickering
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel
(aka Blue Heron Casino, Blue Heron)
- Location: Port Perry, Ontario
- Address: 21777 Island Rd, Port Perry, ON L9L 1B6
- Distance from Toronto by car: 94.7 km (via ON 401 Express)
- First opened: January 31, 1997
- Owner and Operator: Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation (MSIFN) (owner) the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (operator), Great Canadian Entertainment (manager)
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking
- Number of slot machines: 600
- Number of table games: 16 (Blackjack, Let it Ride, 3 or 4 Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Roulette, Squeeze Baccarat, Texas Hold’em Poker and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: Yes
- Live shows & entertainment: No
- Great Blue Heron Casino Resort notable features: It is located in a scenic location on Scugog Island and is known for its award-winning buffet. In addition to offering a decent range of table games, including Squeeze Baccarat and $10,000 maximum betting limits, the casino also has a bingo hall. The casino’s First Nation theme is featured throughout the building architecture and décor and the facility and hotel was newly renovated in 2021.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/great-blue-heron
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
Elements Casino Brantford
(aka Brantford Casino, Brantford Charity Casino)
- Location: Brantford, Ontario
- Address: 40 Icomm Dr, Brantford, ON N3S 7S9
- Distance from Toronto by car: 124.7 km (via ON-401 E)
- Established: November 17, 1999
- Owner and Operator: Great Canadian Entertainment
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking
- Number of slot machines: 550+
- Number of table games: 34 (blackjack, baccarat, Three Card Sabotage, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Spanish 21, roulette, poker, and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes
- Hotel: No
- Live shows & entertainment: Yes (live music & DJ only)
- Elements Casino Brantford notable features: Elements Casino Brantford is a charity casino. A portion of the profits goes to the Trillium Foundation, which distributes funds to qualifying charities. The casino is close to a train station, restaurants, hotels and is located near the upscale theatre, Sanderson Centre for the Preforming Arts. It also has a poker room.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/elements
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
Elements Casino Flamboro
(aka Flamboro Casino)
- Location: Hamilton, Ontario
- Address: 967 Ontario 5, Dundas, ON L9H 5G1
- Distance from Toronto by car: 75.3 km (via ON-403 E)
- Established: 2,000 (casino) 1975 (racetrack)
- Owner and Operator: Great Canadian Entertainment
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking
- Number of slot machines: 900+
- Number of table games: 12 (blackjack, baccarat, Three Card Sabotage, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Spanish 21, roulette, and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: No
- Live shows & entertainment: Yes (live music & DJ only)
- Elements Casino Flamboro notable features: Aside from the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, Elements Casino Flamboro is the closest land based gaming establishment to Toronto residents that features both slots and table games (only about 60 minutes away by car – in good traffic). It is also home to Flamboro Downs, a half-mile harness horse racing track, which opened in 1975.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/elements
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
Elements Casino Mohawk
(aka Mohawk Casino)
- Location: Milton, Ontario
- Address: 9430 Guelph Line, Milton, ON L0P 1B0
- Distance from Toronto by car: 65.0 km (via ON-401 E)
- Established: 1999 (casino) 1963 (racetrack)
- Owner and Operator: Great Canadian Entertainment and Woodbine Entertainment Group
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking and valet parking
- Number of slot machines: 1,400+
- Number of table games: 42 (blackjack, baccarat, Three Card Sabotage, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Spanish 21, roulette, and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: No
- Live shows & entertainment: Yes (live music & DJ only)
- Elements Casino Mohawak Resort notable features: It is widely known for its wide selection of slots, including high limit slots, and for Mohawk Racetrack, a harness racing track which opened in 1963. It also has an all-you-can-eat buffet.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/elements
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
Shorelines Casino Peterborough
(aka Peterborough Casino)
- Location: Peterborough, Ontario
- Address: 3800 Fisher Dr, Peterborough, ON K9J 6X6
- Distance from Toronto by car: 131.1 km (via ON-115 S and ON-407 W)
- Established: October 15, 2018
- Owner and Operator: Great Canadian Entertainment
- Hours of operation: 24/7 all year long (including holidays)
- Parking: Free on-site parking
- Number of slot machines: 500
- Number of table games: 12 (Blackjack, Mini Squeeze Baccarat, Roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, Free Bet Blackjack, Three Card Poker and more)
- Loyalty program: Great Canadian Rewards (free to join)
- Restaurants: Yes (including buffet)
- Hotel: No
- Live shows & entertainment: Yes (live music)
- Shorelines Casino Peterborough notable features: For its small size, Shorelines Casino Peterborough has a decent range of live table games and slots. However, what it is perhaps best known for is its buffet, which features a daily brunch and a nightly seating.
- Official website: greatcanadian.com/destinations/ontario/shorelines-casinos
- Online gaming available: Yes (OLG.ca)
General land based gaming Ontario facts worth knowing
🖺Be prepared to show ID
Only person’s aged 19 and older can legally enter a casino floor in Ontario. If you appear over 30, some casinos might not ask for ID. That said, if you are required to show ID before entering the gaming floor, you will need to show a license, passport, or age of majority card. What’s more, if you appear 21 or younger, you’ll be required to provide not only a photo ID, but a second piece of ID that has your name on it, such as a credit card, debit card or health card.
🍸Bars are not open 24/7
Although the casino is open 24/7, not all bars on the gaming floor are. For instance, it’s not uncommon for bars to be open from 9 am to 2pm. Be sure to drink responsibly if you do choose to purchase alcohol. Remember that drinking can lower inhibitions and affect your decision-making skills. Also, if you are drunk, you will be escorted out of the casino. Additionally, Outside alcohol is not permitted on the gaming floor.
🥤Complimentary non-alcohol beverages are often available.
Although alcoholic drinks are not complimentary, some casinos do offer other complimentary beverages such as water, soft drinks, tea and coffee.
📱You are not allowed to take pictures
You are not allowed to take photos or video of any kind on the casino floor in an Ontario land based gaming establishment. Moreover, even using your cell phone or an electric device is not permitted at table games or slot machines. If you wish to use your cell phone, you will need to pause your play and step away from the game.
💵/💳You can use cash or loyalty/member cards in the machines
Most slot machines and electronic table machines accept both cash and pre-loaded loyalty/member cards. If you care about collecting comp points, be sure to use your card so the casino can track your play and you can earn points.
🌟Join loyalty programs if you like perks
If you are someone who enjoys land based gaming frequently, it will likely be worth it for you to take part in their free-to-join rewards programs that are offered. Like online casino VIP and loyalty rewards, the more you play, the more comp points you earn. These points can often be used for perks such as covering a room at the resort hotel, tickets to shows, free meal at a restaurant, free drink ticket, etc. You can learn more about how the rewards programs work and the benefits you can get via each casino’s official website.
🚭Smoking of any kind is not allowed indoors
As per Ontario laws, smoking is not allowed on the gaming floor or inside the building. This includes cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, vaping and cannabis. There are designated outdoor smoking areas if you wish to smoke.
👕👖👞There is no particular dress code
Ontario casinos are not overly strict about what you wear. Essentially, shirts and shoes are a requirement. You are also not permitted to wear clothing or any other material that displays messages, words or images that are considered offensive, obscene, threatening, or intimidating. Casinos are public spaces and all players should have respect for staff and one another.
🎲Table games are not typically open 24/7
While slots and electronic table games are available 24/7, table games are available daily for only a set number of hours, based on demand. For instance, table games at the Great Blue Heron Casino are available daily from 12pm to 4am and table games at Elements Casinos are available from 12pm to 6am daily. Moreover, the hours may differ depending on the day and how many games are available is often dictated by the volume of customers.
😊Be polite to dealers, staff and other players
A casino is a business. The people who work there are doing their job, they don’t make up the rules of the house. If you have a genuine complaint, don’t be rude to the staff or your fellow players. Be sure to speak with the appropriate person in charge who can help resolve the issue. Remember, if you catch a bad break, while this is frustrating, this isn’t the dealer’s fault, the fault of other staff members, or other players. You win some and you lose some. That’s just the way it goes with gambling.
🕙Be mindful of the time
It’s notoriously easy to lose track of time in a casino. In fact, the casino floor is purposely designed to encourage this. The place is set up like a maze, ensuring that you must walk through different sections in order to reach certain restaurants, the bar, entertainment, a specific type of game, cashier cages, and the exit. What’s more, most of these facilities purposely do not have windows or clocks. Be sure to look at the time every so often, give yourself limits, and take breaks.
🐶Pets are not allowed
Pets are not allowed on the gaming floor, with the exception of service dogs. It’s also worth noting (especially if you like to bring your dogs with you on vacation) that most on-site casino hotels are not pet friendly either.
🎰There’s a surprising number of land based gaming establishments in Ontario.
Ontario is a massive province. As such, there are more land based gaming options beyond just those I’ve listed in and near Toronto. So, if you’re wondering, “how many casinos are there in Ontario?” the answer is 28 (including casinos without live table games). As for the question: “Who owns Ontario casinos?” the answer differs depending on the establishment. That said, most of the land based gaming facilities in Ontario are owned by Great Canadian Entertainment.
How many land based gaming destinations have you visited in Ontario?
Personally, I’ve been to three of the establishments listed above, and am most familiar with Rama and Fallsview, as I’ve been to Casino Niagara only once.
How about you? How many have you visited, and do you have a favourite?
Also, I’d love it if you’d let me know if you liked this article and if you’d like me to do another about other casinos in Ontario. I may also eventually create individua posts for each of the casinos that have been listed here, to provide more detailed information about each.
Until next time, good luck and have fun!
Mia 👩💻
*All links and images in this post are for information purposes only.
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