Land-Based Casinos in Canada: The Complete Guide

Canada is home to roughly 100 land-based casinos, spread unevenly across its provinces and almost absent from the three territories. This page is the geographic hub for the subject: a plain-language overview of how casino gambling is organised in Canada, a full list of the country’s bricks-and-mortar venues by province, and a short summary of each region that points you toward our in-depth provincial guides. It is a factual reference only — there are no ratings, no rankings and no ‘best casino’ claims here. For the wider picture of Canadian gambling, laws and history, start at the Casinos of Canada home page.

How casino gambling is regulated in Canada

Casino gambling in Canada is legal, but it is controlled province by province rather than nationally. Under the federal Criminal Code (sections 201 to 207), most forms of betting and gaming are prohibited unless a provincial government conducts and manages them. That single clause is why there is no countrywide casino regulator: each province was handed the power to license, run or contract out gambling inside its own borders.

In practice, every province created a Crown corporation (a government-owned body) to hold the gaming licence. Those corporations either run casinos directly or appoint private ‘service providers’ to operate the floor on their behalf. The games, the money and the ultimate responsibility stay with the province; the day-to-day operation is often a private or First Nations company.

Who regulates casinos in each province?

• Ontario — Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), with private operators running most sites.
• British Columbia — British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC).
• Alberta — Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).
• Quebec — Loto-Quebec, through its subsidiary Societe des casinos du Quebec.
• Manitoba — Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.
• Saskatchewan — SaskGaming (two casinos) and the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, SIGA (seven casinos).
• Atlantic Canada — the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation and the Atlantic Lottery Corporation oversee the region’s venues.

Our dedicated guide to Canadian gambling law covers the Criminal Code framework, licensing and the online rules in detail; this page stays at the casino-location level.

How many casinos are there in Canada?

There are roughly 100 land-based casinos in Canada, though the exact figure depends on what you count. Large destination casinos, First Nations casinos, racetrack casinos (racinos) and smaller slot halls are all ‘casinos’ in everyday language, so totals published by different sources vary. Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia hold the great majority of venues; Quebec runs only four, all state-owned; and Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have none at all.

The spread tracks population and policy rather than geography. The four western and central provinces with large cities and established First Nations gaming agreements account for most of the floor space, while the sparsely populated North has no commercial casino market.

Full list of land-based casinos in Canada

The table below lists Canada’s main land-based casinos grouped by province, with the city and the operator or owner that runs each one. It covers the significant named venues; counting every small slot facility and charitable gaming hall pushes the national total above 100. Operators and casino names change from time to time as properties are sold or rebranded, so treat the operator column as current at the time of writing.

Casinos province by province

Each province runs casino gambling differently, so the number, ownership and style of venues shift as you cross the country. The summaries below give the essentials; the dedicated provincial guides go deeper into locations, hours, games and local history.

Ontario

Ontario has the most casinos and the largest gaming market in Canada, overseen by OLG. Unlike most provinces it uses a private-operator model: companies such as Great Canadian Entertainment, Gateway Casinos, Mohegan (Niagara Casinos) and Caesars run the floors under OLG’s authority. Flagships include Caesars Windsor, Niagara Fallsview and the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto near Woodbine — one of the largest casino properties in the country.

British Columbia

British Columbia has around 15 to 18 casinos, all conducted and managed by BCLC and operated by private service providers, chiefly Great Canadian Entertainment and Gateway Casinos. The Metro Vancouver cluster — River Rock in Richmond, Parq in downtown Vancouver and the Hard Rock in Coquitlam — anchors the market, with Gateway’s Cascades and Lake City casinos serving the Interior.

Alberta

Alberta has one of the largest casino footprints in Canada, with more than 25 venues regulated by AGLC. The province is notable for its many First Nations casinos, including River Cree (Enoch Cree Nation) and Grey Eagle (Tsuut’ina Nation), alongside operators such as Pure Casino (now under Indigenous Gaming Partners), Gamehost and Century Casinos. Alberta’s minimum gambling age is 18.

Quebec

Quebec runs just four casinos, all owned and operated by the state through Loto-Quebec: Montreal, Lac-Leamy (Gatineau), Charlevoix and Mont-Tremblant. Casino de Montreal is among the largest gaming floors in the country. Quebec’s model is a pure government monopoly, and the minimum age is 18.

Manitoba

Manitoba has around five casinos. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries directly operates the two Winnipeg venues, Club Regent and McPhillips Station, while South Beach, Sand Hills and Aseneskak are First Nations casinos run under agreement with the province. The minimum gambling age in Manitoba is 18.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has nine casinos under a shared model. SaskGaming, a Crown corporation, runs Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw, while the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) operates seven First Nations casinos across the province, from Dakota Dunes near Saskatoon to Northern Lights in Prince Albert. SIGA reinvests its net revenue in First Nations and community programmes.

Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada has a handful of casinos concentrated in three provinces. Nova Scotia has two (Halifax and Sydney) under the Casino Nova Scotia brand, New Brunswick has one in Moncton, and Prince Edward Island offers gaming at the Red Shores racetrack venues in Charlottetown and Summerside. Great Canadian Entertainment operates the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick casinos. Newfoundland and Labrador has no land-based casino.

The territories and Newfoundland & Labrador

Canada’s three territories have essentially no casino industry. Diamond Tooth Gerties in Dawson City, Yukon, is a seasonal, charitably licensed gaming hall run as a heritage tourist attraction rather than a year-round casino. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut have none, and neither does Newfoundland and Labrador. The gap is driven by small populations rather than legal bans.

What types of casino venues exist in Canada?

Canadian casinos fall into a few recognisable categories, and knowing them helps make sense of the list above.

• Commercial destination casinos — large resort-style properties with hotels, dining and entertainment, such as Caesars Windsor or River Rock.
• First Nations casinos — owned by or operated in partnership with Indigenous nations, especially common in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Racetrack casinos (racinos) — slot and table gaming attached to a horse-racing track, such as Century Downs or Red Shores.
• Government-run casinos — operated directly by a Crown corporation, as in Quebec and at the two Winnipeg venues.

Who operates Canada’s casinos?

A small number of companies run most of Canada’s private casino floors. Great Canadian Entertainment and Gateway Casinos are the two largest multi-province operators, active in Ontario, British Columbia and Atlantic Canada. Other significant names include Mohegan (Niagara Casinos), Caesars and Hard Rock in Ontario, Century Casinos and Gamehost in Alberta, and Indigenous Gaming Partners, which has expanded by acquiring the former Pure Casino properties. Crucially, these companies operate on behalf of the provincial Crown corporation that actually holds the licence — the province, not the operator, conducts and manages the gaming.

What to know before visiting a Canadian casino

A few practical points apply almost everywhere in the country.

• Age: you must be 19 to enter a casino in most provinces, but 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Bring government-issued photo ID.
• Hours: many larger casinos operate long hours or around the clock, but smaller venues and those in the Atlantic provinces keep shorter schedules — check before travelling.
• Winnings and tax: recreational gambling winnings are generally not taxed as income in Canada, unlike in some other countries.
• Currency and payment: casinos deal in Canadian dollars; cash-handling and responsible-gambling rules vary slightly by province.

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Several assumptions trip up people new to the subject.

• Assuming one national regulator: there isn’t one. Rules, ages and operators differ by province.
• Confusing operator with owner: a casino branded ‘Great Canadian’ or ‘Gateway’ is still conducted and managed by the provincial Crown corporation.
• Expecting casinos everywhere: the territories and Newfoundland and Labrador have no commercial casinos at all.
• Treating the minimum age as uniform: walking into an Alberta casino at 18 is legal; the same age will not get you into an Ontario casino.
• Believing strategies change the odds on slots: slot outcomes are random, and no betting system or ‘demo play’ changes the house edge.

A note on responsible gambling

Gambling should be treated as paid entertainment, never as a way to make money or recover losses. The house edge means the venue is expected to win over time, and no system, tip or practice session changes that. If gambling is causing stress for you or someone close to you, free, confidential help is available across Canada — for example through ConnexOntario and the Responsible Gambling Council, as well as each province’s own support line. Most casinos also run self-exclusion and limit-setting programmes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many casinos are there in Canada?

Canada has roughly 100 land-based casinos, though the exact number depends on whether you count smaller slot halls, racinos and charitable gaming venues. Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia hold the most; Quebec runs only four and three territories plus Newfoundland and Labrador have essentially none.

What is the legal gambling age at Canadian casinos?

The minimum age is 19 in most provinces and territories, but it is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. You will need valid government-issued photo identification to enter.

Which province has the most casinos?

Ontario has the most casinos and the largest gaming market in Canada, followed by Alberta and British Columbia. Ontario is also distinctive for using private operators under the oversight of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Are casino winnings taxed in Canada?

Recreational gambling winnings are generally not treated as taxable income in Canada, so a casual player usually keeps the full amount. The treatment can differ for people who gamble as a business, so professional situations are the exception.

Are there casinos in Canada’s territories?

Not in the usual sense. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no casinos, and Yukon has only Diamond Tooth Gerties in Dawson City, a seasonal, charitably licensed gaming hall run mainly as a tourist attraction.