Caesars Windsor Casino Ontario Review for July 2024

Veni, vidi, vici; I came, I saw, I conquered gambled! Pairing Vegas-style gaming with that famous Canadian hospitality, Caesars Windsor Ontario is the ultimate entertainment package wrapped in a big marble bow. 

From slots and table games to poker tournaments and a fully-fledged sportsbook, Caesars really ticks all the boxes when it comes to gambling. However, the addition of the Colosseum event space, Ariius nightclub, and a dozen bars and restaurants also makes it a popular destination for those with no interest in the casino.

Caesars Windsor is owned by Caesars Entertainment, one of the most successful casino chains in the world. Since opening the original Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas in 1966, the company has cut the ribbon on over 50 properties across the US. It wasn’t until 40 years later, in 2006, that the company broke ground on Canadian soil.

Having visited many of these locations in the US, I decided it was time to try the one branch built on home turf. My in-depth Caesars Windsor review will tell you everything you need to know about this Ontario casino, including its game selection, sports betting facilities, accommodation, customer service, bonuses and promotions, location, accessibility, and general atmosphere. 

Caesars Windsor is conveniently located in the beating heart of downtown Windsor. It’s nestled right on the Detroit River, with only the ironically barren Festival Plaza sandwiched in between. Over 1,700 slots, 80+ table games, dozens of e-gaming terminals, and a dedicated poker room are spread across 100,000 square feet of gaming space. 

Caesars Windsor is a true one-stop shop for out-of-towners, with a casino, hotel, multiple restaurants, bars, and a nightclub. However, the venue is also packed with locals visiting one outlet or the other. Due to its proximity to Windsor’s main street, Ouellette Avenue, Caesars has an electric atmosphere on the weekends. 

Whether pre-gaming for Tequila Bob’s or betting a few hands before a gig at the Colosseum, hundreds of Windsorites frequent the casino. We Canadians have a reputation for friendliness, so visitors to the casino or any of its amenities should expect to have multiple conversations with strangers throughout the night. 

The city of Windsor is something of a relic in that it doesn’t operate an LRT (light rail transit) service. However, I could easily reach the casino by public bus. The nearest bus stations are McDougall at University Avenue, Chatham at Glengarry, and Riverside at McDougall, each roughly a 3-minute walk away from the casino. Alternatively, you can take a taxi or Uber to the casino. Cabs are always stationed in front of the McDougall entrance to take you back to where you need to go. 

If you’d rather cut the travel time and stay on-site, Caesars Windsor has an impressive 758-room, AAA Four Diamond-standard hotel. The hotel consists of two separate towers—one family-friendly and the other adult-only—and has a fitness centre and a pool. 

Caesars boasts just shy of 1,800 slots, an impressive collection that covers every theme and feature imaginable. That's on a par with some of the best online casinos for game choice. 

The casino is right in the centre of downtown Windsor, which is why I found a diverse range of ages lining the slot machines. 

Caesars’ 85 live-dealer table games are available 24/7. Boasting multiple progressive jackpots—including Blazing 7’s Blackjack, Nexus Multi-Link Poker, and Royal 9 Baccarat—Caesars has an incredibly diverse and well-rounded selection of tables. All blackjack games are 3:2 (excluding the soft 17 tables in the high-limit room), which is better than the 6:5 payouts I’ve seen at some Ontario brick-and-mortar casinos. 

Caesars Windsor also claims the prize for the highest table limits in ON, with a $50,000 maximum on craps, $25,000 on blackjack, and $15,000 on baccarat and Pai Gow poker. High rollers will have an absolute field day here (whereas I humbly stuck to the lower-limit tables). You’ll find these high-limit games in the dedicated High Limit area, along with double-digit slot denominations and exclusive tableside service.

On the other end of the scale, table minimums can be as high as $25 during weekends and peak times, so all of us budget bettors may be better off sticking to digital blackjack and roulette. Alternatively, get the best of both worlds by playing on the Dynasty e-game terminals, where you can enjoy multi-game betting on live dealer tables (including those unfolding on the real gaming floor) for minimums that won’t empty your wallet. 

Caesars has a dedicated poker room that hosts Bounty tournaments every Friday night and No Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments every Sunday afternoon. With $245 and $150 buy-ins, these tournaments are aimed more at experienced players than novices and newbies. I’ve been playing for years and found Caesars’ 1/2 perhaps the toughest of any Canadian casino I’ve visited. 

The poker room is open from noon until late Monday to Thursday, and it stays open continuously from Friday noon until 6am on Monday. I was slightly disappointed by these restricted hours, though I was happy to see Seven Card Stud available besides the usual Omaha and Texas Hold’em tables. Outside of the poker room, you’ll find Mississippi Stud, 3 and 4 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, High Card Flush, Pai Gow, and Let It Ride on the main gaming floor.  

Caesars’ two hotel towers, the Augustus and the Forum, house an impressive 758 rooms. The former is more modern, though not on a par with hotels new casinos offer, and suitable for families, while the latter is adult-only. 

A short walk from the casino, it’s the perfect place to unwind after a busy day exploring the city or an evening of gambling fun.  

Emperor Nero was infamous for his cruelty and ambition, but his on-site restaurant absolutely slaps. Serving up “affordable luxury,” you’ll need to reserve a table in advance if you want to dine with the greats at Nero’s Steakhouse. I was lucky and managed to secure a last-minute seat at the bar, but if you’re not a party of one like me, you’re better off booking in advance. 

If you want to immerse yourself in Caesars’ Italian theme, you can check out Spago Trattoria. A more budget-friendly option than Nero’s, Spago is ideal for those who want a walk-in, upmarket eatery without the large price tag. 

That said, I’d still recommend making a reservation on weekends and event nights (my roulette tablemates were in a pretty foul mood after waiting 1.5 hours to be seated).

For quick and easy eats, there’s Cafe 377, Johnny Rockets, and Tim Hortons. There’s also the Legends Sports Bar, a laid-back bar and eatery with HD TVs on almost every inch of wall space, showing all the big games and ensuring you never miss a section of the action. 

Not only can you watch while you eat, but you can wager, too. Legends has a full-service Caesars sportsbook inside the bar, featuring counters and kiosks for betting on football, basketball, hockey, and more. 

The Colosseum is Caesars’ premier entertainment venue, hosting concerts from well-known entertainers like Hasan Minhaj, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, and the RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars cast. With room for up to 5,000 guests, the Colosseum is as vast and impressive as its historical namesake (without the gory Gladiator battles, you’ll be relieved to know). 

The Ariius nightclub offers after-hours entertainment, while the VU Bar provides uninterrupted views of the Detroit skyline. 

Smoking: Smoking is not permitted inside Caesars Windsor (after all, nobody wants a repeat of the Great Fire of Rome). Instead, I found that there are several convenient and heated outdoor patios where you can smoke/vape and enjoy panoramic views of the riverfront while you puff. 

Food and drink: Boasting half a dozen dining establishments, multiple bars, a nightclub, and a casual sports lounge, Caesars caters to every taste. From fast food to fine dining, there are plenty of food and drink options suited to all budgets. 

Entertainment: Whether you’re attending for a night of cocktails and conversation or a two-step shuffle in the Ariius club, you’re guaranteed a top evening of entertainment at Caesars.

The casino is spread across two floors, but a lift joining the two (plus plenty of space between tables and machines) makes it wheelchair accessible. There are also accessible rooms in the hotel and accessible washrooms throughout the venue.

Caesars’ rewards program is widely regarded as the best of any online casino, but did you know you can also use the Caesars rewards app when you play in person at Caesars Windsor? 

Caesars members can claim multiple rewards, including free dining credit on sign-up, discounted hotel stays, freeplay, entry into prize giveaways, month-long bonus points, ticket sweepstakes, and more. The casino’s bonuses change monthly, so there are plenty of opportunities to claim new and exciting rewards.

Of course, you must be a Caesars Rewards member to cash in on any of the casino’s promotions. But as I soon found out, getting signed up at Guest Services is super simple. Once you do so, it’s easy to claim a bonus. Simply swipe your Rewards card at any promotional kiosk to see which promotions are available, then choose which one you want to activate. Alternatively, you can download the Caesars Rewards app and check out the available bonuses and your points balance on your phone. 

Speaking of points, all of your casino gameplay contributes to your points balance. Previously, Caesars only allowed you to spend your freeplay points on one game. However, now you can spend them wherever and whenever you want! Just pop your rewards card into your chosen slot and wager away. You can also save up your points to spend on hotel stays, dining, and more. 

In terms of prizes and giveaways, Caesars has a monthly cash draw where you can win a share of $25,000 (there are three $5,000 prizes and one $10,000 prize). Depending on your tier status, you can earn between 10 and 70 ‘base entries’. You can then play games and earn tier points to receive further entries into the draw. 

While it’s a good premise, the giveaway has some harsh rules. You must be physically present at the draw, meaning out-of-towners are ruled out. Those present at the draw have just five minutes to come forward otherwise you forfeit the prize. You must also answer a ‘mathematical skill-testing question,’ an absurd condition with the sole purpose of further restricting access to the bonus. 

Caesars is one of the most famous casino chains around so, of course, I had to start my night on the gaming floor. I’m a sucker for some Buffalo Gold action, so you can imagine my excitement upon seeing multiple variants of my beloved bovine adventure (including Buffalo Gold Collection and Buffalo Gold Revolution). There were over a dozen buffalo-themed slots alone, so you can guarantee that whatever your niche, Caesars can accommodate. 

I was particularly impressed by the “Total Touch” technology which lets you order drinks right to your machine. It’s an innovative bit of kit, but I can tell you firsthand that the convenience and swift service of this feature (streamlined even further by the option to view and re-order your drinks history) is a dangerous game. Four spicy margaritas in, and I’d wagered far more than intended sending those little buffalos spinning. 

Having spent an absurd amount on cocktails and lost an equal amount on slots, I decided to check out the evening’s entertainment. I debated a visit to the Ariius nightclub, but after realizing I was almost twice the age of the many twenty-somethings going in and out, I opted instead for the Cosmos lounge. Advertising a “premium Caesars experience,” I enjoyed watching the local live band with guests a little closer to my age (and somehow wound up with another margarita in hand).

I stayed in the Forum Tower of the hotel, which is advertised as adult-only. However, I found that my King room had an interior door connecting it to the room next door. After speaking to the staff at the front desk, I learned that all of the ‘luxury’ King rooms (aka, those with a city view instead of a river view) have adjoining doors. 

I was able to lock it from my side, so this was not particularly an issue. However, I could hear almost every word of my neighbours’ conservation. While I was entertained hearing about the antics of a recently divorced friend, I’d have preferred not to be woken up at 2am to their tipsy chit-chat. Hopefully, this was a one-off, as the hotel itself has very comfortable beds and is super convenient for a night at the casino or Colosseum. 

⭐ Standout Moment

As a long-standing fan of the Bad Friends podcast, I had an absolute blast watching an episode recorded in real-time at the Colosseum. It was hilarious (as expected), but the jokes were even funnier when I was surrounded by thousands of other cackling spectators. 

All in all, Caesars Windsor Ontario is yet another string in Caesars Entertainment’s already impressive bow. It provides all the gambling, entertainment, and dining extravagance you expect to find on the Vegas strip but transplanted on Canadian soil. It’s not only ideal for us Canucks; just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, it’s also the perfect day trip for Detroiters. 

The casino is easily accessible for any type of guest, whether you’re staying on- or off-site. The casino is within walking distance of many affordable downtown hotels, while bus routes run right past the doors for those staying further afield. If you’re driving in, the casino offers complimentary parking (though valet service is available for those who want to cut out the slightly confusing walk from the parkade to the entrance). 

As far as safety goes, you’re in good hands at Caesars. Though they’re not clad in tunics and shields, the security staff do a gladiatorial job of maintaining order around the casino and nightclub. The hotel elevators require key cards to activate them, so you don’t need to worry about non-hotel guests entering the property. That’s not to say it’s a particularly dangerous area, but it’s nice to have that extra layer of safety when you’re in the middle of a busy city. 

There’s not much I didn’t like about my visit to Caesars Windsor. The games are diverse, the rooms are comfortable, the location is ideal, and the customer service is A1. Whether you’re here for a night of gambling fun, an event at the Colosseum, or a date night at Nero’s, you’re sure to have a fantastic time.