Great Canadian Casino Resort Review

Opened in the middle of 2023, the Great Canadian Casino Resort is the biggest casino in Toronto but does the new facility live up to hype? Our experts provide unique insights and reveal the vastness of games you can play and examine the special features of this brand-new facility.

Great Canadian Casino Resort Ratings

Table of Contents

• Rating and Review Process for Great Canadian Casino Resort
• Slot Machines – 5/5
• Casino Games – 4/5
• Staff & Service – 5/5
• Loyalty & Rewards – 5/5
• Casino Atmosphere – 4/5
• House Rules (T&Cs) – 4/5
• Player Feedback – 3.1/5
• Operator – 5/5
• Great Canadian Casino Resort Competitors
• Great Canadian Casino Resort Pros and Cons
• Should You Visit Great Canadian Casino Resort?

Rating and Review Process for Great Canadian Casino Resort

We have developed a special review system that allows us to critique all components of a casino in Canada. Furthermore, our reviewers are experts in different fields of casino operations which allows us the unique advantage of being able to provide insider knowledge when producing our findings.

Our reviews are conducted by actually spending time at the casino as a player, thereby we can detail a genuine first-hand experience.

How we inspected Great Canadian Casino Resort

• Date of visit: 12/09/2023
• Time of visit: 5 PM – 11 PM
• Initial bankroll: C$100
• What we played: Slots, Roulette, Craps
• Final bankroll: C$220
• Next visit: 12/20/2024

What we looked at

We take an objective and subjective approach to reviewing casinos to best cover all aspects of the casino. Objectively, we look for factors such as progressive jackpots, table games, and betting limits. Subjectively, we test areas such as the overall atmosphere, the house rules, and the design of the casino.

What we found

Slot Machines – 5/5

Great Canadian Casino Resort is an excellent slot gaming destination with over 4,500 games from numerous game providers, thousands of progressive jackpots, and a mixture of retro and modern titles.

Slots we played at Great Canadian Casino Resort

Our night began with a few spins of Buffalo Gold in an attempt to win a jackpot early. Next, we played Da Vinci Diamonds which has a maximum win of 5,000x, before moving on to Rembrandt Riches which has tumbling reels. We finished our night with a few old bandits including Buffalo and Fortune Princess.

How many slot machines does Great Canadian Casino Resort have?

This casino boasts a monstrously large collection of 4,800 slot machines.

Do the slot machines accept coins?

No, slot machines do not accept coins. You can either use cash notes or free-play by swiping your rewards card.

Slot machine providers

• IGT
• Konami
• Aristocrat

Local progressive jackpots

Walking around, it’s hard to find a slot machine that doesn’t have a jackpot. There are loads of progressive jackpot networks including favourites like Zeus Power Link, Mr.Cashman Link, and Wheel of Fortune. We noted grand jackpots that were in the high tens of thousands during our visit.

Casino Games – 4/5

The casino offers loads of classics and variants including Fire Bet Craps. We really liked the addition of older classics like Casino War too. With over 150 tables, it’s incredibly rare to not find a free seat on a Saturday night.

Game types

• Roulette
• Blackjack
• Poker
• Craps
• Casino War
• Baccarat

Betting limits

Table limits vary between different games and tables. We noted C$200 minimum blackjack bets in the VIP rooms. The minimum bets on most other games including blackjack, baccarat, and craps were either C$25 or C$50.

Can anyone bet the highest limits or do you need special VIP access?

Yes – if you have the chips, you can bet the highest table limit.

Great Canadian Casino Resort poker tournaments

The 24/7 poker room is located at the Grandstand Casino located on the second floor. 30 tables are offering Texas Hold’em with different limits – including no-limit games – and a Bad Beat Jackpot. Games are held around the clock but while tournaments are planned, none have been scheduled just yet.

Staff & Service – 5/5

Food & Drinks

There is an actual plethora of dining and drinking options with a total of 15 facilities to choose from. These range from extravagant dinner dining and fast-food chains to sports bars and cafes. Many of these are track-facing too. Prices are quite variable too and suit the venue – such as C$25 for a burger at the Woodbine Club Restaurant but C$10-15 at Big Smoke Burger.

How much do you tip at Great Canadian Casino Resort?

The customary tipping size in Ontario is between 15-20%.

Does Great Canadian Casino Resort offer free drinks?

Only coffee and soft drinks are offered as complimentary beverages to playing customers.

Is there a buffet at Great Canadian Casino Resort?

No, there are currently no buffets being offered at any of the casino’s dining facilities.

Parking

The Great Canadian Casino and Resort has four huge parking lots and offers 24/7 valet parking. Self-parking is entirely free but valet parking starts at C$15.

Accommodation

The casino also boasts a modern 400-room hotel with free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour gym. Construction was completed in 2023, so the entire facility is still very new. Depending on the room, you can expect to pay between C$190 and C$600 for a single-night stay, including taxes.

That is fairly expensive but you can choose to stay down the road at the Woodbine Hotel & Suites or the Comfort Inn – both are notably cheaper but certainly less premium too.

Do you tip room service at Great Canadian Casino Resort?

Yes, if you order room service, a tip is customary as a service charge was not added to the bill during our visit.

Are there smoking areas?

The hotel is smoke-free, so you’ll need to step outside to smoke. The same goes for the casino which also has a designated smoking section located outside.

Security

The outdoor parking areas are well lit and there is a huge parking garage too which was impressive. Security checked our IDs upon entry and every corner appeared to be covered by CC-TV cameras.

Loyalty & Rewards – 5/5

How does the Great Canadian Casino Resort rewards program work?

The casino is part of the Great Canadian Rewards program which includes 11 other casinos in Ontario. It’s free to sign up and you’ll be able to earn points right away. 100 Rewards Points is worth C$1 and can be earned by playing on slots of VLT games.

What you get

• Dining discounts
• Lower hotel rates
• Exclusive offers
• Free Play

How to register in the program

You can sign up online or choose to register at Guest Services.

1. Go to https://signup.gcrewards.com/
2. Accept the terms and conditions
3. Verify your identity using Interac by taking a selfie with your ID present
4. Collect your rewards card from Guest Services

Casino Atmosphere – 4/5

Inside Great Canadian Casino Resort

We checked out the huge parking garage, walked every square inch of the casino floor and took several laps of the exterior. This is why we can provide first-hand details about the interior design and locale.

Design experience

The entrance is overshadowed by the hotel which appears much like a giant cruise ship in its shape and has the vibe of a modern take on 1980s Miami art deco. Entering the lobby feels like stepping into a modern museum or gallery with high ceilings and white stone walls. The casino floor feels modern but isn’t particularly unique.

This isn’t a knock at all. We found the casino floor to be clean, crisp and it still feels brand new – it just looks like most other modern casinos in Canada.

Are you allowed to take photos in Great Canadian Casino Resort?

Yes, photography is allowed but you can’t take any photos at the gaming tables.

Location and surroundings

The casino is located about an hour’s drive from downtown which does leave the facility quite a distance from other forms of entertainment. However, it is located right by Toronto Pearson Airport where players can fly in from the US and other parts of Canada. Otherwise, the location is mostly highway, a heavily residential area, and some car dealerships.

Do you need a passport to visit Great Canadian Casino Resort?

No, any form of government-issued photo ID will be satisfactory.

Events

The casino and resort have a 5,000-seat theatre that has attracted such big names as Gwen Stefani, Frank Turner, and Blake Shelton. However, nothing was scheduled during our visit and it seems we’ll need to wait until the new year for shows to begin.

House Rules (T&Cs) – 4/5

When is Great Canadian Casino Resort open?

It’s always open. Great Canadian Casino Resort is open 24/7.

Does Great Canadian Casino Resort charge entry?

Entry to the casino is free.

Do you always need a reservation to play at Great Canadian Casino Resort?

No, you can just turn up and play.

Is membership required at Great Canadian Casino Resort?

No, but membership is required to enter the Woodbine Club Bar.

Dress code

The casino does not enforce a strict dress code but does suggest customers adhere to what they call “Track Casual” as a minimum. This is basically defined as clothes that are acceptable to enter the racetrack which means dress jeans, dress shorts, pantsuits, dresses, and similar attire.

Standout rules at Great Canadian Casino Resort

None of the house rules were out of the ordinary.

Player Feedback – 3.1/5

The 540+ reviews across Google and Tripadvisor are a mixed bag but many reviews do cover the casino prior to the upgrade.

Great Canadian Casino Resort player reviews

Google – 3.3/5

Players thoroughly enjoyed the new look and gaming offering of the casino but frowned at the expensive dining options.

Tripadvisor – 2/5

Some players noted some significant improvements but many took issue with look waits to cash out and high table minimum bets.

Most common issues

• Long cashier queues
• Expensive dining and table limits

Operator – 5/5

Who owns Great Canadian Casino Resort?

The casino is owned and operated by Great Canadian Entertainment, which operates more than 20 casinos in Canada.

Other casinos by the same operator

• Elements Casino Grand River
• Pickering Casino Resort
• Casino New Brunswick
• Casino Nova Scotia
• Great Canadian Casino Vancouver

Contact info

Great Canadian Casino Resort Competitors

Besides online casinos in Canada which still challenge even the biggest facilities, Great Canadian Casino Resort doesn’t have much competition. That’s because there aren’t any other casinos in Toronto. Your two closest options are over two hours away with Casino Rama in Orillia or Casino Niagara by Niagara Falls.

Great Canadian Casino Resort Pros and Cons

Pros

• Massive collection of over 4,500 slot machines
• 24-hour poker room with 30 tables
• Outstanding variety of dining options
• Open 24 hours, seven days a week

Cons

• No poker tournaments at this time
• Rather high minimum table limits

Should You Visit Great Canadian Casino Resort?

This casino is such a huge facility with tons of gaming options. Both casual players and serious gambling experts will find plenty to enjoy from the 4,500+ slot offering and 175 table games. With numerous dining options, several bars, and plenty of major events, there is more to experience than just gaming too.

However, the table limits can be a little rich for some casual gaming but at least the VLT machines are always affordable.