On October 26, 2006, a $178 million complex opened on the Enoch Cree Nation reserve at the western edge of Edmonton, becoming the first Indigenous-owned casino in Alberta. Eight years later, after the Enoch Cree Nation bought out the minority interest held by Las Vegas operator Paragon Gaming, the property passed into sole community ownership. What began as a casino with a hotel attached has since grown into a weekend destination with 249 rooms, two gaming floors, a concert hall and two NHL-sized ice sheets.
The growth has not stopped. In September 2024 a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of a $200 million expansion: an 18-storey tower with 230 more rooms and over 30 luxury suites, a pool with two waterslides and a large hot tub, and more than 40,000 square feet of event space. A separate addition of roughly 22,500 square feet to the smoke-friendly Embers casino was announced around October of the same year.
For a traveller, that history matters mainly in one respect: the site now holds enough under one roof to anchor two or three days, while sitting close enough to Edmonton that the city stays within easy reach.
Where it is and how to get there
The address is 300 East Lapotac Boulevard, Enoch, Alberta, T7X 3Y3, on the reserve crossed north to south by Alberta Highway 60. Most arrivals come by car, and parking is the easy part: self-parking is free, valet service is complimentary for guests and patrons, and the lot carries block-heater plug-ins that matter in an Alberta January.
|
Starting point |
Distance |
By car |
Without a car |
|
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) |
21 miles |
20-30 min, traffic dependent |
Bus, tram and line 747, from 1h 34m, $9 |
|
Downtown Edmonton |
12 miles |
22 min |
Transfers via West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre |
|
West Edmonton Mall |
short hop west |
6 min |
Free resort shuttle every 30 min |
|
Granville Drive & Greenough Bay stop |
nearest transit stop |
– |
14 min walk to the resort |
|
West Edmonton Mall by city bus |
– |
– |
Direct bus every 20 min, 29 min ride |
Transit is possible but slow; routings to the airport have also been clocked at 2h 17m with transfers. A rental car or the free mall shuttle covers most weekend needs.
When to go and what the hours are
Rates follow the Edmonton calendar closely. Twelve months of rate tracking put October as the cheapest month, averaging C$217 a night, and February as the dearest at C$335. The same tracking shows Wednesday as the cheapest night at C$207 and Friday as the most expensive at C$429, with roughly seven weeks of lead time saving about 38 percent against last-minute booking.
Inside, the clock is generous. The casino and its slot machines run 24 hours daily. Table games open at 11:00 am and close at 3:00 am. The poker room keeps the same 11:00 am to 3:00 am window Monday through Wednesday, then stays open around the clock Thursday through Sunday, which shapes how most weekend trips are planned.
What is inside the resort
The main floor is entirely smoke-free and holds 1,665 slot machines and 46 table games, with 14 more tables in the poker room running cash games; the free Poker Atlas app manages the wait list. Embers, the smoke-friendly section built out in a 25,000 square-foot expansion, adds 405 slot machines and 14 tables of its own.
Beyond the floor sit the twin NHL-sized rinks, home to the largest adult hockey league in western Canada, visible through the windows from the bar. The Venue at River Cree covers 24,000 square feet and seats up to 2,400, with configurations ranging from 500 upward. Its Ticketmaster box office sits at the Players Club counter, open daily from 10:00 am to midnight, and takes debit or credit only.
Anyone who encounters River Cree branding away from Lapotac Boulevard can consult an independent review site that sorts out what actually operates under the name online River Cree, including the resort’s own app, which states plainly that it carries no gambling.
Where to stay and what to eat
The hotel holds 249 non-smoking rooms and suites, 11 of them suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows, microwaves, fridges, coffee makers and flat-screen televisions that cast from Netflix. Wi-Fi is free, as is the shuttle to West Edmonton Mall. An indoor pool, hot tub and 24-hour fitness centre round out the leisure side. Breakfast is not folded into the standard rate.
Dining runs casual to mid-range. The Kitchen Restaurant serves breakfast weekdays from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, stretches weekend breakfast to 2:00 pm, and runs a dinner buffet Friday and Saturday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Tap 25 covers the sports-bar side, Fatburger the burgers, Italia the pasta, with Cha Xpress, Cree Subs and a lobby coffee bar pouring Starbucks for quicker stops. Since July 2024, Italia, Cha Xpress, Fatburger and Tap 25 have been open to all ages when minors are accompanied by an adult.
Who can go in and what the rules are
The gaming floor is 18 and over, and every show at The Venue carries the same limit with no minors admitted. The Players Club card is free to join and starts members with 100 loyalty points; points convert at 2,000 to one dollar in River Cree Bucks, spendable on dining, gaming, spa services and retail. Guests aged 50 and over fall into the Cruiser’s Club tier, with double-point days and priority seating.
A workable weekend: arrive Thursday or Wednesday when rates dip, use the mall shuttle on the first afternoon, take in a show that evening, and leave Saturday free for the rinks and the floor.
The casino floor and The Venue admit guests aged 18 and over; set a spending limit before you play and treat gambling as entertainment, not income.