Caesars Windsor: History, Facts and Figures

Caesars Windsor is a land-based casino resort on the Windsor riverfront in Ontario, directly across the Detroit River from downtown Detroit, Michigan. It opened in 1994 as Ontario’s first casino, is owned by the provincial Crown corporation that runs gaming in the province, and is operated by Caesars Entertainment. This profile sets out its history, who owns and runs it, and the key facts and figures behind the resort as it stands today.

The resort sits at 377 Riverside Drive East in downtown Windsor, a short distance from the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge. That border location has shaped the property from the start: a large share of its visitors have always crossed over from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and other Midwestern states, and its main competitors are the three commercial casinos in nearby Detroit.

Where is Caesars Windsor?

Caesars Windsor is in Windsor, Ontario — Canada’s southernmost city — on the south bank of the Detroit River. The casino faces the Detroit skyline, and the international border runs down the middle of the river between the two cities.

The riverfront setting is central to the property’s business. Windsor itself is a mid-sized city, but the resort draws on the much larger population of metropolitan Detroit just across the water. United States visitors arrive through the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel or the Ambassador Bridge, which is why passport and identification checks matter as much as the casino’s own age checks. Caesars Windsor is one of several venues in the province; you can see the wider picture in our guide to Ontario’s land-based casinos.

The history of Caesars Windsor

Caesars Windsor began life in 1994 as Casino Windsor, the first casino to open in Ontario, and took its current name in 2008 after a major expansion. Its three decades break into a few clear chapters.

Ontario’s first casino (1994–1998)

The casino opened to the public on 17 May 1994 in a temporary home — a renovated former art gallery building on the Windsor waterfront. It was not only Ontario’s first casino but also an early example of a public–private partnership in Canadian gaming, built and run for the province by a consortium of established American operators.

Demand quickly outgrew the temporary site. In 1995 a riverboat, the Northern Belle, was added on the river to provide extra gaming space while a permanent resort was built. The purpose-built casino on Riverside Drive opened on 29 July 1998, with a hotel tower, restaurants and a far larger gaming floor.

From Casino Windsor to Caesars Windsor (2005–2008)

In February 2005 a roughly CA$400 million expansion was announced. Completed in June 2008, it added a second hotel tower, a 5,000-seat entertainment venue (the Colosseum) and a large convention centre. As part of that project the property was rebranded Caesars Windsor in 2008, tying it to the Caesars Entertainment brand under a formal operating agreement.

The resort had also already made an unusual move for a casino: effective 31 May 2006, it became one of the first commercial casinos in North America to go completely smoke-free, ahead of broader provincial smoking rules.

Recent years and the 2025 operating agreement

Two events stand out in the resort’s recent history. In 2018, a labour dispute shut the hotel and cancelled concerts and reservations; the property effectively closed on 6 April 2018 and reopened on 7 June 2018 after unionized staff ratified a new contract. In 2023, Caesars Windsor opened a retail sportsbook, reflecting Canada’s move to legalize single-event sports betting in 2021.

The biggest recent development is about who runs the casino. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) ran a multi-year competitive procurement for the long-term operator of the Windsor casino and, on 9 May 2025, announced it had selected Caesars Entertainment to continue as the service provider under a new agreement of roughly 20 years, expected to take effect in 2026. In practice, that keeps Caesars running day-to-day gaming and non-gaming operations on OLG’s behalf.

Who owns and operates Caesars Windsor?

Caesars Windsor is owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, a provincial Crown corporation, and operated on OLG’s behalf by Caesars Entertainment. The brand on the building is private; the asset and the gaming authority behind it are public.

This split is standard in Ontario. Under Canada’s Criminal Code, only a province may “conduct and manage” gambling, so OLG is the legal operator of the gaming, while a commercial company such as Caesars provides the staffing, branding and hospitality under contract. Casino regulation and licensing sit with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). A large portion of the casino’s profit flows back to the province and to local causes: the resort has reported donating more than CA$16 million to local charities over its history and contributing over CA$92 million to the City of Windsor.

What is on the gaming floor?

Caesars Windsor has about 100,000 square feet (roughly 9,300 square metres) of gaming space, making it one of the larger casino floors in Canada. According to the operator’s own amenities information, the floor holds around 1,800 slot machines and about 85 gaming tables, including a dedicated 14-table poker room that hosts regular tournaments.

Those counts should be read as approximate. Third-party directories list figures ranging from roughly 1,550 to 2,600 machines, and operators routinely add, remove and reconfigure slots and tables, so the exact numbers change over time. The game mix is the usual Canadian casino line-up:

• Slot machines — the bulk of the floor, in a wide range of denominations and themes.
• Table games — blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and a selection of poker-derived and specialty games.
• Poker room — a separate 14-table room running cash games and tournaments, including major events in the past.
• Sportsbook — a retail sports-betting area added in 2023.

If you are new to how these games actually pay out, it is worth understanding that every one of them is built with a mathematical edge for the house; that is how the business funds the hotel, shows and public revenue.

The hotel, dining and entertainment

Caesars Windsor is a full resort rather than a stand-alone gaming hall, with 758 guest rooms split across two connected towers. The Forum Tower (389 rooms, 23 storeys) opened with the permanent casino in 1998, and the taller Augustus Tower (369 rooms, 27 storeys) was added in the 2008 expansion.

The entertainment centrepiece is the Colosseum, a 5,000-seat theatre that hosts touring concerts and comedy. The property also includes roughly 100,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, a spa, and around half a dozen restaurants and bars — among them Neros Steakhouse, a large buffet, a sports bar and a Tim Hortons. Both the 1998 casino and the 2008 expansion were designed by WZMH Architects.

Caesars Windsor by the numbers

The headline figures below summarise the resort as reported by the operator and by press coverage of its 30th anniversary in 2024. Where sources disagree — chiefly on slot and table counts — the ranges reflect that.

• Opened: 17 May 1994 (temporary site); permanent resort 29 July 1998; rebranded Caesars Windsor in 2008.
• Gaming floor: about 100,000 sq ft (≈9,300 m²).
• Slot machines: about 1,800 (third-party counts vary).
• Table games: about 85, plus a 14-table poker room.
• Hotel rooms: 758 across the Forum and Augustus towers.
• Colosseum: 5,000 seats.
• Employees: around 2,000 (about 3,500 at peak).
• Visitors: roughly six million a year.

How does Caesars Windsor compare to other Canadian casinos?

Caesars Windsor is one of Canada’s larger casinos by gaming-floor size, but it is not the biggest. The Casino de Montréal in Quebec is generally cited as Canada’s largest casino overall, and British Columbia’s River Rock Casino Resort is often credited with the largest single gaming floor. In Ontario, the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort is comparable in scale, with a similar full-resort format of slots, tables, a hotel and a large theatre.

What makes Caesars Windsor distinctive is less its raw size than its border position: it is a Canadian casino built largely to serve the Detroit metropolitan market, and it competes directly with the Detroit casinos rather than only with other Ontario venues. For a size-ranked overview, see our list of the biggest casinos in Canada.

Visiting Caesars Windsor: age, ID and the border

The minimum age to enter the gaming floor at Caesars Windsor is 19, in line with the legal gambling age in Ontario. Staff can ask for government-issued photo identification at any point, and the age rule applies to everyone on the floor regardless of where they are from.

Because so many guests cross the international border, a valid passport or other accepted travel document is effectively part of a visit for United States residents. The casino is smoke-free indoors, and self-exclusion is available: a person who has signed up to Ontario’s voluntary self-exclusion program can be refused entry and will not be paid out on winnings while excluded.

Common misconceptions about Caesars Windsor

A few points are widely misunderstood, so it is worth stating them plainly.

• “It’s a privately owned Caesars casino.” No. The casino is owned by the province through OLG; Caesars Entertainment only operates it under contract. The 2025 agreement renewed that operating role — it did not sell the casino to Caesars.
• “The exact slot and table numbers are fixed.” They are not. Published counts vary between sources and change as the floor is reconfigured; treat any single figure as a snapshot.
• “Caesars Windsor is Canada’s biggest casino.” It is one of the larger ones, but the Casino de Montréal is generally the largest overall and River Rock has the largest gaming floor.
• “Strategy or demo play improves your chances.” Casino games are designed with a built-in house edge. No betting system, practice session or loyalty tier changes the underlying odds.

Responsible Gambling

This article is an informational profile of Caesars Windsor, not gambling advice or encouragement to play. Gambling carries a real risk of financial loss, and every casino game is designed so that the house wins over time. If you choose to visit, set a budget you can afford to lose and treat any winnings as luck rather than income.

Help is free and confidential in Ontario. ConnexOntario operates a 24/7 line at 1-866-531-2600 for anyone affected by their own or someone else’s gambling, and Ontario’s voluntary self-exclusion program lets you bar yourself from casinos. For warning signs, help lines and self-exclusion options across the country, see our guide to responsible gambling in Canada. You must be 19 or older to gamble in Ontario.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When did Caesars Windsor open?

The casino first opened on 17 May 1994 as Casino Windsor, in a temporary building, making it Ontario’s first casino. The permanent resort on Riverside Drive opened on 29 July 1998, and the property was rebranded Caesars Windsor in 2008 after a major expansion.

Who owns Caesars Windsor?

Caesars Windsor is owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), a provincial Crown corporation. Caesars Entertainment operates it on OLG’s behalf under a contract; in May 2025 OLG selected Caesars to continue as operator under a new agreement of about 20 years, expected to begin in 2026.

How big is Caesars Windsor?

The resort has about 100,000 square feet of gaming space holding roughly 1,800 slot machines and around 85 table games, plus a 14-table poker room. It also has 758 hotel rooms in two towers, a 5,000-seat theatre and about 100,000 square feet of convention space. Exact game counts vary by source and over time.

What is the minimum age to gamble at Caesars Windsor?

You must be at least 19 years old to enter the gaming floor, which is the legal gambling age in Ontario. Staff can request government-issued photo identification, and the rule applies to all visitors, including those crossing from the United States.

How far is Caesars Windsor from Detroit?

Caesars Windsor sits on the Windsor riverfront directly across the Detroit River from downtown Detroit, Michigan. Visitors from the United States typically reach it through the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel or the Ambassador Bridge and should carry a valid passport or accepted travel document.