Caesars Windsor
A casino resort, hotel, entertainment and convention complex on the Detroit River waterfront in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Last updated October 19, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Caesars Windsor is a casino resort and hotel complex in Windsor, Ontario, positioned on the Detroit River opposite downtown Detroit and close to the Canadian entrance of the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel. The property is owned by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It is therefore both a public gaming asset and a private-sector hospitality and entertainment operation. The resort began in May 1994 as Ontario's first casino. The initial operation occupied a temporary site in the former Art Gallery of Windsor on Riverside Drive. Demand was exceptionally strong, with visitors from Canada and the United States producing long queues and large customer volumes. To accommodate the operation while a permanent complex was being built, the Northern Belle riverboat casino operated on the Detroit River from December 1995 until July 1998. The permanent casino opened on July 29, 1998, on the former Windsor Market site. The facility was developed at a time when Windsor benefited from a favorable Canadian-U.S. exchange rate and from the absence of casino gaming in Detroit. Its waterfront location, views of the Detroit skyline and proximity to the international border made it a regional destination for visitors from Ontario and the American Midwest. The resort's opening also contributed to competitive and political pressure surrounding the later authorization of commercial casinos in Detroit. The original permanent complex included gaming, a hotel, restaurants, retail space and an entertainment lounge. Its first hotel tower, the 23-story Forum Tower, opened with the 1998 resort. In December 2006, Harrah's Entertainment announced that the property would adopt the Caesars Windsor name, aligning it with the Caesars brand and its customer-loyalty and destination-resort strategy. The rebranding coincided with a major expansion intended to make the property more attractive to U.S. visitors and higher-value leisure and gaming customers. The expansion was completed in 2008. It added the 27-story Augustus Tower, a 5,000-seat entertainment centre and approximately 100,000 square feet of convention space. Renovations to the existing casino also introduced or enlarged bars and buffet facilities and reorganized slot machines and table games. The resort was formally relaunched on June 19, 2008, with a performance by Billy Joel at an invitation-only event. Both the 1998 complex and the 2008 expansion were designed by WZMH Architects. Caesars Windsor's business has been shaped by cross-border travel. In the late 1990s, a Canadian dollar trading below approximately US$0.65 gave American visitors a strong economic incentive to cross into Windsor for gaming, hotels and hospitality. Later, the Canadian dollar strengthened, border controls became more restrictive after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and Detroit opened three casino resorts in 1999. These changes reduced some of Windsor's competitive advantage. A one-month labor strike in 2004 also affected operations. The property has promoted Canada's treatment of gambling winnings, including the absence of Canadian taxation on such winnings, as one attraction for U.S. customers. The resort became smoke-free on May 31, 2006, in compliance with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Labor relations again materially affected operations in 2018: an ongoing strike led to reservation and concert cancellations and effectively closed the hotel from April 6 until the dispute ended with a ratification vote on June 4. The resort reopened on June 7, 2018. Caesars Windsor continues to combine casino gaming, hotel accommodation, live entertainment, meetings and conventions for a cross-border customer base.
History
Caesars Windsor emerged from Ontario's decision to introduce commercial casino gaming under public ownership and private operation. In 1993, the provincial government selected a joint venture involving Caesars World, Circus Circus Enterprises and Hilton Hotels to build and operate a casino owned by the province. The initial facility opened in May 1994 in the former Art Gallery of Windsor on Riverside Drive. It was Ontario's first casino and quickly became a major cross-border attraction. Its popularity was reflected in customer lines that extended around the temporary building and in the large number of visitors arriving from the United States. Because the temporary casino could not provide the intended long-term capacity, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation arranged for the Northern Belle riverboat casino to operate from the Detroit River. The vessel opened in December 1995 at the foot of Ouellette Avenue and remained in service until July 1998. During the same period, construction proceeded on the permanent resort at the former Windsor Market site, several blocks east of the temporary casino. The permanent Casino Windsor opened on July 29, 1998. Its opening celebration used a James Bond theme and included appearances by Daisy Fuentes and Regis Philbin. The resort was designed as more than a gambling venue: it combined a casino with a hotel, restaurants, shops, a tropical-style entrance and an entertainment lounge. The 23-story Forum Tower formed the first major hotel component. WZMH Architects designed the permanent facility. Casino Windsor benefited initially from the exchange rate between the Canadian and U.S. dollars. During the late 1990s, the Canadian dollar was below approximately sixty-five U.S. cents, making a trip to Windsor financially attractive for American gamblers and supporting spending in the city's wider hospitality sector. The property was also operating before Detroit's commercial casino market matured. Beginning in 1999, however, Detroit developed three competing casino resorts: MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino, later known as Hollywood Casino at Greektown. The security changes introduced after the September 11 attacks, a narrowing exchange-rate advantage, and a month-long labor strike in 2004 further challenged the property's visitor base. In response, the operator and provincial owner pursued a larger destination-resort strategy. In February 2005, the Ontario government, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the property's executive team announced a major expansion. Harrah's Entertainment announced in December 2006 that Casino Windsor would be renamed Caesars Windsor, linking the resort more directly to the Caesars brand and its customer programs. The expansion added the 27-story Augustus Tower, a 5,000-seat entertainment centre and approximately 100,000 square feet of convention facilities. The existing casino was also renovated, with changes to bars, buffet facilities, slot-machine placement and table-game layouts. The completed resort reopened or relaunched on June 19, 2008, with Billy Joel performing for invited guests. The Augustus Tower opened as part of the 2008 development, and the expanded complex was also designed by WZMH Architects. Caesars Windsor became smoke-free on May 31, 2006, following the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. This changed the operating environment for a casino that had historically served a large gaming clientele, although smoking restrictions also expanded in competing American jurisdictions. The property's cross-border strategy has included emphasizing its waterfront setting, entertainment programming, hotel facilities and the Canadian treatment of gambling winnings, which does not impose Canadian tax on gambling winnings. Labor relations again produced a significant interruption in 2018. A workers' strike led to canceled reservations and concerts and effectively closed the hotel from April 6. The dispute ended after workers ratified an agreement on June 4, and Caesars Windsor reopened on June 7. In the 2020s, the property continued to function as a casino-hotel and entertainment complex. A reported recent change was the relocation of the Ariius nightclub from the casino site to downtown Windsor in January 2026. The resort remains publicly owned through Ontario's gaming corporation and operated by Caesars Entertainment, serving Ontario residents and visitors from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other parts of the U.S. Midwest.
- 2018
Hotel reopens after labor dispute
[1]Following a strike and ratification vote, Caesars Windsor reopened on June 7.
- 2008
Augustus Tower and entertainment expansion open
[1]The 27-story Augustus Tower, entertainment centre and convention facilities were added, and the renovated resort relaunched in June.
- 2006
Smoke-free gaming operation begins
[1]The property became smoke-free on May 31 under Ontario legislation.
- 2006
Casino Windsor is renamed Caesars Windsor
[1]Harrah's Entertainment announced the Caesars Windsor name as part of the resort's brand alignment and expansion program.
- 2005
Expansion project announced
[1]Ontario authorities and the property team announced a major expansion intended to strengthen Windsor's position as a destination resort.
- 1998
Permanent waterfront resort opens
[1]The permanent Casino Windsor opened on July 29 with the Forum hotel tower and expanded hospitality and entertainment facilities.
- 1995
Northern Belle interim casino begins service
[1]The Northern Belle riverboat casino opened on the Detroit River while the permanent resort was being built.
- 1994
Temporary casino opens
[1]Casino Windsor opened in May in the former Art Gallery of Windsor, becoming Ontario's first casino.
- 1993
Ontario selects a private operating consortium
[1]The Ontario government selected a consortium involving Caesars World, Circus Circus Enterprises and Hilton Hotels to develop and operate a province-owned casino in Windsor.
Products and positioning
A cross-border destination casino resort serving Ontario and the U.S. Midwest, combining gaming with branded hotel accommodation, concerts, dining, meetings and conventions.
Gaming · 1994
Casino gaming
The core offering is a casino serving a regional and cross-border market. The property provides slot machines and table games, with the casino floor having been reorganized and renovated as part of the 2008 resort expansion. Gaming is operated within a publicly owned Ontario casino asset under Caesars Entertainment's management.
Hotel · 1998
Forum Tower
The Forum Tower is the original hotel tower associated with the permanent Casino Windsor complex. The 23-story tower opened with the waterfront resort in 1998 and forms part of the property's integrated accommodation offer for gaming customers, leisure travelers and event visitors.
Hotel · 2008
Augustus Tower
The Augustus Tower is a 27-story hotel tower added during the resort's large-scale expansion. It was developed to strengthen Caesars Windsor's destination-resort proposition and provide additional accommodation capacity alongside the expanded casino, entertainment and convention facilities.
Live entertainment · 2008
Entertainment centre
The resort's entertainment centre has capacity for approximately 5,000 people and supports concerts and other large events. Its role is to broaden the property beyond casino gaming and attract visitors through ticketed entertainment and major performances.
Meetings and conventions · 2008
Convention facilities
The 2008 expansion added approximately 100,000 square feet of convention space. These facilities support meetings, conventions and other organized events, helping the resort pursue business and group visitors in addition to casino and leisure customers.
Controversies
2019
Gambler sued Caesars Windsor over alleged service and gambling practices
Tarwinder Shokar sued Caesars Windsor and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, alleging that they should have known about his compulsive gambling and alcohol addiction and that the casino over-served him alcohol and encouraged his gambling while he was intoxicated. The defendants asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.
Brand decisions
2018
Reopen after the 2018 labor strikeOtherBackground
A workers' strike disrupted hotel and resort operations, causing reservation and concert cancellations.
Action taken
The dispute was submitted to a ratification vote, which concluded on June 4, 2018.
Aftermath
Caesars Windsor reopened on June 7, 2018.
2006
Rebrand the property as Caesars WindsorStrategyBackground
The resort faced stronger competition from Detroit casinos, a less favorable currency environment and the effects of tighter post-2001 border security. The operator sought to make the property more attractive as a destination resort and to connect it with the Caesars brand.
Action taken
Harrah's Entertainment announced that Casino Windsor would adopt the Caesars Windsor name while a major hotel, entertainment and convention expansion was under construction.
Aftermath
The renamed property relaunched in 2008 with an expanded hotel and event proposition, including the Augustus Tower, a large entertainment centre and convention facilities.
2006
Implement a smoke-free casinoOtherBackground
Ontario's Smoke-Free Ontario Act prohibited smoking in enclosed workplaces and public places, requiring the casino to change its operating environment.
Action taken
Caesars Windsor became smoke-free on May 31, 2006.
Aftermath
The change altered the customer experience and occurred as smoking restrictions were also developing in competing American markets.
2005
Approve a major resort expansionStrategyBackground
Caesars Windsor was competing for cross-border visitors with three Detroit casino resorts and was seeking to reduce its dependence on gaming-floor traffic alone.
Action taken
The Ontario government, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the property's executive team announced an expansion adding a hotel tower, entertainment centre and convention facilities, together with renovations to the existing casino.
Aftermath
The project was completed in 2008 and the renovated resort relaunched on June 19 of that year.
announced expansion cost. $400 million (Announced February 2005; completed June 2008)
Recent events
- 2018
Labor strike closes hotel operations[1]
Other
An extended workers' strike caused reservation and concert cancellations and led to the effective closure of the hotel until the dispute was ratified and the resort reopened.
- 2008
Major resort expansion and relaunch completed[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The expansion added the Augustus Tower, a 5,000-seat entertainment centre and convention space. The renovated property was relaunched in June with a Billy Joel performance.
- 2006
Casino Windsor adopts the Caesars Windsor name[1]
Product generation
Harrah's Entertainment announced the rebranding as Caesars Windsor while the operator pursued a major resort expansion.
- 2006
Caesars Windsor becomes smoke-free[1]
Regulation
The casino stopped permitting smoking in enclosed workplaces and public areas in accordance with Ontario's province-wide smoke-free legislation.
- 1998
Permanent Casino Windsor opens[1]
Product launch
The permanent waterfront resort opened with gaming, hotel accommodation, restaurants, retail space and entertainment facilities.
- 1995
Northern Belle riverboat casino begins interim operations[1]
Other
A riverboat casino operated on the Detroit River while the permanent Casino Windsor complex was under construction.
- 1994
Casino Windsor opens as Ontario's first casino[1]
Product launch
The property began operations in a temporary former art-gallery building on Windsor's waterfront, attracting substantial demand from Canadian and American visitors.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/caesars-windsor · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled