Casinos in Manitoba: Full List and Locations

Manitoba has a small, tightly regulated casino landscape centred on Winnipeg, with a handful of additional venues serving rural and northern communities. Every land-based casino in the province operates under the same public framework: the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LGCA) regulates and licenses gambling, while the Crown corporation Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) conducts and manages the gaming itself. The minimum age to gamble is 18 — younger than the 19 used in most Canadian provinces. This guide lists every casino in Manitoba, where each one is, who runs it, and what to expect before you visit.

How is gambling regulated in Manitoba?

Gambling in Manitoba is split between a regulator and an operator, a structure used across Canada. The LGCA is the independent regulator: it oversees liquor, gaming, cannabis and horse racing, licenses charitable gaming and gaming employees, and administers the agreements that allow First Nations casinos to operate. It does not run casinos itself.

The gaming is conducted and managed by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, a provincial Crown corporation. MBLL directly owns and operates Winnipeg’s two full casinos and the downtown Shark Club gaming centre, runs the province’s video lottery terminal (VLT) network and the regulated online platform PlayNow.com, and manages the First Nations casinos under conduct-and-management agreements. This arrangement follows Canada’s federal and provincial gambling laws, under which only a province may conduct and manage gaming within its borders.

What is the legal gambling age in Manitoba?

The legal gambling age in Manitoba is 18 for all LGCA-regulated activities, including casino gaming, VLTs, lottery and regulated online play. That is lower than most of the country, where 19 is the standard; Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec are the exceptions at 18. Bring government-issued photo ID — venues can ask for it at the door or at the cage, and individual properties may apply their own house rules.

What casinos are in Winnipeg?

Winnipeg is home to Manitoba’s two full-scale casinos, both owned and operated by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, plus a smaller downtown gaming centre. Together they account for most of the province’s gaming floor space.

Club Regent Casino

Club Regent Casino sits at 1425 Regent Avenue West in the Transcona area of east Winnipeg and opened in 1993. It is the larger of the city’s two casinos, with roughly 1,200 slot machines and around 40-plus table games, including a dedicated poker room offering blackjack, roulette, baccarat, pai gow poker and Texas Hold’em. The complex connects to a Canad Inns hotel and includes the Club Regent Event Centre, a venue for concerts and live entertainment. Slot and table counts change over time, so treat these as approximate.

McPhillips Station Casino

McPhillips Station Casino is at 484 McPhillips Street in Winnipeg’s north end and also opened in 1993. Built around a railway-station theme, it offers several hundred slot machines, a full set of table games and a poker room, along with restaurants, lounges and a live-entertainment space. Like Club Regent, it is owned and operated directly by MBLL.

Shark Club Gaming Centre

The Shark Club Gaming Centre is Winnipeg’s only downtown gaming venue, located in the Cityplace complex near the hockey arena and opened in 2013. It is smaller than the two main casinos — a sports-bar-style gaming centre with roughly 100-plus slot machines and a limited selection of live table games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat. It is operated by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

What First Nations casinos operate in Manitoba?

Three First Nations casinos operate in Manitoba under conduct-and-management agreements with Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, meaning the host First Nations own the properties while MBLL conducts and manages the gaming under LGCA oversight. They extend casino gaming beyond Winnipeg into rural and northern Manitoba.

South Beach Casino & Resort

South Beach Casino & Resort is on the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation reserve near Scanterbury, along Highway 59 about 70 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, and opened in 2005. It is the province’s resort-style casino, pairing a gaming floor of several hundred slot machines and a handful of table games with an attached hotel, restaurants and event space. It is owned by a group of southeastern Manitoba First Nations.

Sand Hills Casino

Sand Hills Casino is located near Carberry, on Highway 5 in western Manitoba, on land tied to Swan Lake First Nation. It is a mid-sized venue with a few hundred slot machines plus live table games such as blackjack, roulette and poker, serving the Brandon-to-Portage corridor west of Winnipeg.

Aseneskak Casino

Aseneskak Casino serves northern Manitoba from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation on Highway 10, just north of The Pas and roughly 630 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Opened in 2002, it is the smallest of the province’s casinos, with on the order of 170 slot machines and table gaming. It is owned by a group of Cree First Nations.

Where does Manitoba fit in Canada’s casino history?

Winnipeg holds a notable place in Canadian gambling history: the Crystal Casino, which opened at the Fort Garry Hotel in 1989, is widely described by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries and the LGCA as Canada’s first permanent, year-round, government-run casino. Earlier gambling in Canada had been temporary or charity-based; the Crystal Casino was the first fixed, province-operated casino of its kind. It occupied the upper floors of the historic downtown hotel and closed in the late 1990s as the newer, larger Club Regent and McPhillips Station casinos drew away its business. You can read more about that milestone in our overview of the history of gambling in Canada. Manitoba is one province within the broader picture of land-based casinos across Canada.

What games can you play at Manitoba casinos?

Manitoba casinos offer the standard mix of Canadian casino gaming, weighted toward slot machines. The larger Winnipeg venues carry the fullest line-up; the rural and northern casinos offer a scaled-down version of the same categories. Typical offerings include:

• Slot machines and electronic gaming — the bulk of every floor, from penny denominations upward.
• Table games — blackjack, roulette and baccarat at most venues, with pai gow poker and other variants at the larger casinos.
• Poker — dedicated poker rooms at Club Regent and McPhillips Station, with live tables elsewhere.
• Bingo and other gaming — offered at some venues alongside the main floor.

If you are new to the floor, our guide to how casino games work and the real odds explains each game and the house edge in plain English.

What should you know before visiting a Manitoba casino?

A few practical points apply to every casino in the province. Knowing them in advance avoids the most common surprises at the door.

• Age and ID: you must be 18 or older, and photo ID may be required.
• Hours: opening hours vary by venue and have changed over time — check the specific casino’s official page or call before travelling, especially for the rural and northern sites.
• Distances: Aseneskak (near The Pas) and Sand Hills (Carberry) are a long drive from Winnipeg; South Beach is about an hour northeast of the city.
• Online play: Manitoba’s only provincially regulated online casino and sportsbook is PlayNow.com, operated by MBLL; it is not a land-based venue.

What are common misconceptions about Manitoba’s casinos?

Several claims about Manitoba gambling circulate online that are worth correcting:

• “The gambling age is 19.” It is 18 in Manitoba, unlike most provinces. Assuming 19 is wrong in either direction depending on where you are from.
• “Private companies run the casinos.” Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, a Crown corporation, conducts and manages all casino gaming in the province; the First Nations casinos operate under agreements with MBLL rather than as independent commercial operators.
• “There are casinos all over the province.” Manitoba has only a handful of casinos, concentrated in and around Winnipeg, plus three First Nations venues and one downtown gaming centre.
• “Any offshore site is legal here.” The only provincially regulated online gambling option is PlayNow.com; offshore sites are not licensed or overseen by the LGCA.
• “Winnipeg had Canada’s first-ever casino.” More precisely, it had Canada’s first permanent, year-round, government-run casino (the Crystal Casino, 1989); earlier charitable and temporary gambling predated it.

Responsible gambling in Manitoba

Casino gaming in Manitoba is restricted to adults 18 and over. The odds of every game favour the house over time, and gambling is entertainment, not a way to make money. If gambling stops being fun or starts affecting your finances or relationships, free, confidential support is available in the province. See our guide to responsible gambling and help resources in Canada for provincial help lines, self-exclusion options and the warning signs to watch for. This article is for information only and is not legal or financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many casinos are there in Manitoba?

Manitoba has five casinos plus one downtown gaming centre. The casinos are Club Regent and McPhillips Station in Winnipeg, and three First Nations casinos — South Beach (Scanterbury), Sand Hills (Carberry) and Aseneskak (near The Pas). The Shark Club in downtown Winnipeg is a smaller gaming centre.

Who regulates casinos in Manitoba?

The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LGCA) is the independent regulator that licenses and oversees gambling. The gaming itself is conducted and managed by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, a provincial Crown corporation.

What is the legal gambling age in Manitoba?

The legal gambling age in Manitoba is 18 for all regulated gambling, including casinos, VLTs, lottery and PlayNow.com. This is lower than the age of 19 used in most other Canadian provinces.

What are the two casinos in Winnipeg?

Winnipeg’s two full casinos are Club Regent Casino at 1425 Regent Avenue West and McPhillips Station Casino at 484 McPhillips Street. Both opened in 1993 and are owned and operated by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. The Shark Club gaming centre downtown is a third, smaller venue.

Did Winnipeg have Canada’s first casino?

Winnipeg’s Crystal Casino, which opened at the Fort Garry Hotel in 1989, is generally recognised as Canada’s first permanent, year-round, government-run casino. It closed in the late 1990s after the larger Club Regent and McPhillips Station casinos opened.