The casino floor, described and not promoted

River Cree's casino is in the middle of the building. Guests walk past or through it on the way to The Venue, Tap 25 and Centre Bar. We describe it here because it shapes the stay — noise, smoke rules, ID checks, the routes children may use — not because we suggest visiting it.

What the resort publishes

The home page, updated on 27 October 2026, gives 1,665 slot machines and 46 table games, cash games at 14 tables in the poker room, and Embers, the smoke-friendly area, with 405 slot machines and 14 table games. The main facility is described as 100% smoke-free. Other pages give other figures: the 2025 hotel overview says "over 1500 slot machines, 10 VLTs, 14 poker tables and 46 table games"; Travel Alberta counts 905 slots on the main non-smoking floor plus 405 in Embers; Indigenous Tourism Alberta says 950 plus 405. We print the home page's figures and note that the record varies.

Hours

The casino and the slots are open 24 hours a day. Table games run daily from 11 am to 3 am. The poker room is open around the clock from Thursday to Sunday; the home page gives 11 am to 3 am for Monday to Wednesday, while the loyalty page lists only Wednesday for that slot — another small conflict on the resort's own pages.

Age and ID

Nobody under 18 may enter a casino in Alberta. River Cree's house rules say it checks ID for anyone who appears to be under 30 and that valid ID is required. Under-18s staying at the hotel may use the restaurants, the rinks and community events, but not the gaming floor or the areas around it.

Smoke

Embers is by the north entrance. Onyx, the lounge inside it, is 18+. Medical oxygen is prohibited in Embers for safety, under the house rules. If smoke bothers you, ask for a room and a route away from the north entrance.

Rules on the floor

Electronic devices including phones and computers are not allowed at table games, and live video recording of table games is banned. Management may refuse entry to anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Keeping it in proportion

Gambling should be a paid-for entertainment with a fixed budget, not a way to make money. Alberta's GameSense advisors can be reached on 1-833-447-7523 (Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am–5 pm, Thursday to Saturday 1–8 pm), and the Alberta Health Services Addiction Helpline answers 24/7 on 1-866-332-2322. Alberta's self-exclusion programme covers every casino in the province at once; our responsible gambling page explains how it works.