Find Your Favourite Calgary Casino Resorts 2025
Updated by Ziv Chen
Writer
Fact Checked by Michael Graham
Content Editor
Calgary, the biggest city in Alberta, Canada, offers a variety of casinos for locals and visitors alike.
With a variety of gaming options, dining choices, and entertainment offerings, Calgary's casinos cater to a diverse range of tastes and preferences, as well as some of the very best gaming locations in all of Canada.
Calgary Land Based Casino Operators
If you want to go gambling in Calgary then one thing you are guaranteed is diversity. From national chains to Tribal Nation casinos, you will surely find something for you.
The bigger casino operators in Calgary include:
- Calgary Exhibition and Stampede: The Annual Calgary Stampede is one of the biggest attractions in Canada, and fittingly they have a rodeo-themed casino in town called Cowboys.
- Tsuu T’ina Gaming Ltd: Land outside the city limits of Calgary was ceded back to the Tsuut'ina Nation in the 1990s, and the Grey Eagle casino is now operated there.
- PURE Canadian Gaming: The chain owns and operates four properties in Canada, with Pure Casino Calgary being one of their biggest.
Calgary Casino Resorts
Calgary is the biggest city in Alberta and as such is not short on casino venues. They include:
- Cowboys Casino - Mosey on down to Cowboys Casino Calgary for a unique land-based gambling experience. Cowboys is a modern homage to the city’s Western heritage and promises to be “the most fun you can have with your boots on”.
- Grey Eagle - Travel back in time to days gone by, when you could light up a Marlboro indoors without getting harassed by angry door staff. Enter Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, Alberta’s one and only smoking-friendly casino.
- Pure Casino Calgary - Located just minutes from downtown, Pure Casino Calgary is a haven for bettors seeking to escape the chaotic cultural capital and its crowded casinos.
- Elbow River - With hundreds of slots, an array of table games, a racebook, and a poker room, Elbow River is said to be as close to a Las Vegas casino exprience as you will come to it in Calgary.
- Deerfoot Inn & Casino - A one-stop shop and family-friendly casino resort in Calgary with extensive food and family-friendly entertainment options.
More Than Gambling
While the gambling can be excellent in Calgary, it's fair to say it's not what the city is best known for. Here are a few other reasons to visit.
- Arts and Entertainment: Calgary has a vibrant arts and entertainment scene with countless theaters, galleries, and museums. The city also hosts several festivals celebrating film, music, and visual arts.
- Calgary Stampede: One of Calgary's most iconic events is the Calgary Stampede, often referred to as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." This annual event celebrates the city's western heritage with rodeo competitions, chuckwagon races, parades, concerts, and other attractions.
- Gateway to Rocky Mountains: The city is situated near the foothills of the incomparable Rocky Mountains, offering easy access to outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and camping.
- Hockey hotspot: Ice Hockey is not just a hobby in Canada, it's a way of life. Calgary boasts of of the best-supported teams in the NHL (The Calgary Flames) and the whole city comes to life on game nights.
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Important Considerations
The good news for gamblers in Alberta is that, unlike places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City where you have to be 21, you can gamble legally when you're 18.
However, some casinos might still insist on a 21 minimum age to enter casinos and join rewards clubs, so make sure you know the situation before you plan a trip.
👉 Read about online casinos in Alberta
👉 Play free online slots in Canada
Best Casino Resorts in Calgary
Calgary is a city with many personalities. Known as Cow-Town to some and the City of Festivals to others, Calgary is a vibrant area with both a rich Western heritage and a cool urban feel.
That variety extends to gambling too, and whether you want a quiet session on the slots or a few rowdy rounds of roulette, you’re certain to find a casino that suits your style.
🤠 Cowboys Casino
If you’re looking for a casino with a young and vibrant atmosphere, Cowboys is probably the best spot in Calgary. Boasting a decent selection of games, a 24-hour poker room, two lively bars, the Cowboys Dance Hall on its doorstep and the Saddledome just a short walk away, Cowboys is the ultimate weekend hangout.
Of course, the casino itself isn’t as large as some of the others on this list. With fewer than 400 slots and 30 table games, it’s hardly a Vegas-style lineup. The 24-hour poker room is separate from the main casino (it even has its own entrance) and attracts serious poker pros at all hours of the day and night, particularly when it hosts the occasional No Limit Hold’em tournament.
However, those seeking some quiet slot and table game gambling might not find Cowboys’ crowds quite so charming after 10pm. Offering slashed drinks prices at both the Centre Bar and Cowboys Dance Hall - and being within such close proximity of the Flames’ stomping ground - Cowboys has the youngest average age of any casino in Calgary.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for some light-hearted casino fun that’s an add-on to (rather than the focus of) your night, you won’t find a more accommodating venue than Cowboys. Whether you’re celebrating a Flames victory or treating your date to a “Learn to Play” package, Cowboys is a great place to start, end, or spend your night. Plus, who doesn’t want the thrill of randomly bumping into Calgary’s greatest pro wrestler, Bret “Hitman” Hart?!
For more information, read our full Cowboys Casino review.
🦅 Grey Eagle Resort
Grey Eagle has a unique bragging right: it’s the only casino in Calgary that permits smoking indoors! The total antithesis of the bustling Cowboys Casino, Grey Eagle is a remote resort that caters to a more mature crowd.
Its location on First Nation land means it can legally permit smoking on the casino floor, the nostalgia of which - paired with its regular Senior Days and bus tour packages - attracts a mostly gray-haired demographic.
Besides a hazy casino, Grey Eagle has plenty of other attributes that earn it a spot on this list. Its state-of-the-art concert venue regularly hosts big-name performers while local bands entertain guests on the casino floor. Its nightly buffets are famous throughout the land, with a different cuisine in the spotlight every day of the week.
For overnight guests (which, due to its remote location, make up the vast majority), Grey Eagle offers a range of hotel packages. From Date Nights and Weekend Getaways to even a Pet-Friendly package, Grey Eagle caters for every situation. Access to the pool, outdoor hot tub, and 24/7 fitness suite is included with every room.
As far as games go, Grey Eagle boasts a healthy 1,000+ slots and table games, including local Albertan progressive jackpot slots like Alberta Gold and American Original. There’s also a not-for-profit bingo hall, a feature you won’t find at many other Calgary casinos.
Grey Eagle might not be the best choice if you’re asthmatic, as the smoke on the casino floor can get pretty intense during busy hours. Even the non-smoking High Limit areas aren’t impenetrable to the fog and the smell (they’re more like slightly less smoky areas).
However, if you can hack the haze, it’s a rare and cool experience to light up a cigarette from the comfort of your slot seat.
For more information, read our full Grey Eagle Resort review.
🌊 Elbow River Casino
Deemed by public vote to be the “top spot for gaming in Calgary”, Elbow River Casino obviously had to make it on this list. Featuring over 600 slots and 35 table games, a dedicated poker room, and live music every weekend, Elbow River is a boutique spot that guarantees a fun time for every type of player.
Dining options are quick and casual, from classic pub grub and weekend Dim Sum specials at Sammy’s Sports Bar to all-you-can-eat hot plates at Jester’s Buffet. You can wager on VLTs from the comfort of the sports bar while watching all the biggest live and pay-per-view games with an ice-cold beer in hand and a plate of prime ribs in front.
The casino boasts a Vegas-style poker room, offering 24-hour gaming from Thursday to Saturday and 10am to 3am Sunday through Wednesday. The poker room primarily focuses on Texas Hold’em and Omaha, with the usual Bad Beat jackpots up for grabs.
One big advantage Elbow River has over other sites on this list is that it has a dedicated off-track betting facility. Though it’s a little dark and unsocial, Elbow River’s racing theatre shows more races than anywhere else in Calgary. Grab a drink from Sammy’s, place your bets, and watch the biggest races in the world unfold in real-time.
For some non-gambling entertainment, pay a visit to the Bayou Stage. The Bayou hosts local live bands every weekend covering every genre, from rock and metal to country and pop. Jester’s Buffet is right next door, so you can indulge in a fantastic Friday buffet while listening to some of the local talent.
For more information, read our full Elbow River Casino review.
💧 Pure Casino
Covering just 52,000 square feet of gaming space, Pure Casino is one of the smallest casinos in Calgary. And yet it manages to squeeze in more than 850 slot machines and over 30 live casino and poker tables, more than other venues with much more floor space. The charm of a boutique casino like Pure is that you get a level of customer service that just isn’t replicated at larger venues.
Most casinos attract an evening crowd, but Pure Casino’s heaviest traffic comes at breakfast. More specifically, guests come from far and wide for the $6.99 breakfast special, available daily from 9:30am to 11am. Not to exclude the evening visitors, Pure Casino also boasts awesome dinner deals from Thursday to Sunday, including the super popular Prime Rib dinner on Saturday.
There’s no on-site accommodation, but the casino is less than a 10-minute drive from downtown Calgary. A visit to Pure Casino allows you to enjoy uncrowded tables and free machines in a slightly less chaotic environment than a downtown casino while remaining close enough that you can be back in your hotel room within a quarter of an hour.
Pure Casino is one of only two venues in Calgary with a Replay Arena – an immersive ELT gaming zone. Described as the place “that keeps the party going all night”, the Replay Arena is exclusive to Alberta. Both the Replay Arena and live dealer tables are open until 3am, while slots and poker are available round-the-clock.
Talking of poker, Pure Casino also has another unique advantage over its bigger casino counterparts: it’s one of the few spots in Calgary where there are no caps on bet limits. This means that savvy and successful players can potentially bring home a huge wad of winnings. Though there are only ten tables, the demand rarely exceeds the resources.
For more information, read our full Pure Casino Calgary review.
🦌 Deerfoot Inn and Casino
Deerfoot Inn has so many strings to its bow, it’s surprising the bow still bears weight. Not only does it have a 60,000 square-foot casino, but it also has (and get ready for this) a 188-room hotel, an on-site waterpark (plus a hot tub), a WSOP poker room, a concert venue, a fitness centre, three pubs/bars, a First Nation restaurant, over 17,000 square feet of convention space, and the best over 55’s club in Calgary. Whew!
It’s a good thing Deerfoot has so many on-site amenities, as there are barely any other restaurants, hotels, or nightlife nearby. However, downtown is only a 20-minute car ride away (or a 40-minute bus) if you want some after-hours amusement when Deerfoot’s live acts finish.
Most guests tend to stay on-site during their trip to Deerfoot Casino. Those who do can indulge in one of Deerfoot’s exciting hotel packages. If you’re attending a concert, why not take advantage of the exclusive Concert package, which includes your room, two gig tickets, and a $50 food voucher? Or, if you’re looking to wind down, check out the Spa package, where you get a room, $120 Spa credit, $100 food voucher, and chocolate strawberries & champagne - all for $399!
Deerfoot is a great place to play all year round, but it’s a particular favourite among RVers during the Calgary Stampede. That’s because Deerfoot is one of the few businesses that opens up its parking lot to let RVs camp out overnight. You can stay here for as little as $20 per night, and the lot is so spacious you don’t need to worry about pesky cars squeezing in the next space and blocking you inside.
Like Cowboys and Pure Casino, Deerfoot is also popular with the poker pros. Its recently refurbished poker room is open 24 hours a day and hosts regular WSOP events alongside twice-daily No Limit Hold’em tournaments.
For more information, read our full Deerfoot Inn and Casino review.
✈️ ACE Casino Airport
For a venue that’s attached to an airport, ACE Casino is a super impressive size. At 72,000 square feet, it’s bigger than a lot of Calgary’s standalone casinos. The decor is also not what you’d expect from an airport casino.
Branded as “Calgary’s ultimate luxury casino destination”, it boasts upscale restaurants with fine dining and stylish seating alongside modern casino furnishings and a Vegas-style gaming arena (which also happens to be Alberta’s only private electronic table lounge).
Despite supposedly being Calgary’s most luxurious casino, slot bets only range from a penny to $5, so it’s not exactly a high roller’s paradise. However, it does provide a splash of luxury and excitement for regular bettors looking for entertainment before their flight. With 600+ slots and 38 casino and poker tables, you’ll have more than enough choice.
Another win for poker players, ACE Casino Airport has a brand new 24/7 poker room with a dozen high-quality tables. Like Deerfoot, ACE hosts twice-daily tournaments, with an additional lunchtime tournament on Sundays.
ACE promises to offer “delicious food at unbeatable prices”, and it’s a promise that certainly delivers. Guests can enjoy a range of buffets at very affordable prices, including a roast beef buffet for $25.88, a luau buffet for $20.88, a prime rib buffet for $19.88, a fish & chips buffet for $16.88, and a dim sum buffet for $13.88. You can save even more money on each option with a loyalty card.
As Calgary’s only airport casino (and with Calgary having only one major airport), ACE is undefeated in this category. But even if there were half a dozen airport casinos, ACE’s stylish presentation, large game selection, daily poker tournaments, and budget-friendly buffets would still land it at the top of the list.
💵 Cash Casino/ACE Casino Blackfoot
Alberta’s longest-running brick-and-mortar casino recently rebranded from Cash Casino Calgary to ACE Casino Blackfoot. Along with its name change, Cash Casino got a total refurbishment, including a high-limit slot area, a shiny new table game section, renovated public washrooms, and a new state-of-the-art kitchen. Though still located on the Blackfoot trail, ACE has a brand-new look.
Cash Casino - sorry, ACE Casino Blackfoot - has three exciting poker progressives: Chase the Flush, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and 777 Blazing Blackjack. These jackpots go beyond the scope of the regular Hold’em and Omaha Bad Beat progressives, putting it high up on the list for poker fans.
Slot fans have more than 600 machines to choose from, while table game enthusiasts are spoilt for choice with multiple variants of blackjack, roulette, craps, EZ baccarat, and pai gow tiles. ACE Casino Blackfoot boasts a VIP slot room with 29 ‘high limit’ machines, but, like its airport counterpart, this limit is only $5. For casual bettors, ACE has an exclusive 888 Slot Room with Asian penny games like 88 Fortune, Lucky Buddha, Dancing Drums, and Jinse Dao.
The casino also offers some awesome promotions, including regular cash ballot draws and monthly ticket draws. Not only is there cash on the line, but you can also win large prize giveaways such as a round-trip ticket to Vegas on a private jet. While the casino might not offer Vegas-level gaming, it can fly you down to the real deal instead!
Meet The Author
Experience
Ziv Chen has been working in the online gambling industry for over two decades in senior marketing and business development roles. Ziv writes about a wide range of topics including slot and table games, casino and sportsbook reviews, American sports news, betting odds and game predictions. Leading a life full of conflict, Ziv constantly struggles between his two greatest loves: American football and US soccer.
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