Casino de Montréal
A large casino and entertainment complex in Montreal's Jean-Drapeau Park, occupying former Expo 67 pavilion buildings.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Casino de Montréal is a casino and entertainment complex located on Notre Dame Island in Jean-Drapeau Park, Montreal, Quebec. The property occupies two buildings originally constructed for Expo 67: the Québec Pavilion and the France Pavilion. A later annex and enclosed connections expanded the complex beyond the original exhibition structures. Its setting gives the casino an unusual architectural and urban identity: it is situated on a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River, near the Gilles Villeneuve racing circuit, the Olympic Basin and other major park attractions. The casino was created as part of Quebec's provincial casino program. In 1992, the Quebec government established the Société des casinos du Québec and assigned it responsibility for developing casinos in the province. Casino de Montréal became the first casino established under that project and opened to the public on October 9, 1993. The conversion repurposed buildings that had served different exhibition functions after Expo 67, including the former Palais des civilisations and the former France Pavilion. The reported construction cost was C$95 million. The property attracted thousands of visitors during its first weeks and recorded approximately 780,000 visitors in its first year, while employing about 700 people during its opening year. Over time, the casino expanded its hours, facilities and entertainment offer. A major expansion took place in 1993, and the property began operating around the clock in 1997. It became a non-smoking establishment in 2003, followed by the closure of smoking lounges after Quebec legislation took effect in 2006. In 2013, Loto-Québec worked with the Montreal-based creative studio Moment Factory on a renovation of the gaming areas. The project introduced large-scale digital features, including a wall extending across three floors, and helped establish a new area known as The Zone, which opened in late 2014. The complex offers a broad range of gaming and hospitality services. Its gaming floor covers approximately 48,900 square metres and includes more than 3,000 slot machines, more than 80 gaming tables, speed lotteries and virtual games. The property also contains restaurants, bars, a cabaret and facilities for meetings and banquets. Live programming includes music, dance, comedy and seasonal events, with many events offered without a separate admission charge. Its annual New Year's celebration combines DJs or musicians with a large countdown screen and extends from the afternoon into the early hours of the following morning. The casino's operating model is tied to Quebec's public gaming structure. It is owned and operated by the Société des casinos du Québec, a subsidiary of Loto-Québec, and profits are directed to the Quebec government. The property reported approximately 2,800 employees in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it ended its 24-hour schedule for the first time since 1997 and adopted a closing time of 3:00 a.m., extended to 5:00 a.m. on weekends according to the cited reference material. The fine-dining restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon closed permanently in 2021. Casino de Montréal remains one of Quebec's principal casino destinations and one of Canada's largest casino properties.
History
Casino de Montréal emerged from Quebec's effort to establish a provincial casino network in the early 1990s. The Quebec government created the Société des casinos du Québec in 1992 and selected Montreal as the site for the first casino in the program. The project adapted buildings associated with Expo 67 on Notre Dame Island, a man-made island within the St. Lawrence River and now part of Jean-Drapeau Park. The Québec Pavilion had originally served the 1967 World's Fair and was later used as the Palais des civilisations. The former France Pavilion was also incorporated into the casino project. Renovation work connected the two structures and added casino-specific facilities, producing a complex that combined exhibition-era architecture with gaming, hospitality and entertainment uses. The project was reported to have cost C$95 million. The casino opened on October 9, 1993, and quickly drew substantial public attention, receiving thousands of players during its initial weeks and approximately 780,000 visitors in its first year. The property underwent an early expansion in 1993 and developed into a large-scale destination rather than a limited gaming venue. In 1997 it began operating 24 hours a day. Public-health and regulatory changes later reshaped the visitor experience: the casino became non-smoking in July 2003, while its smoking lounges closed in May 2006 after Quebec introduced a new provincial law. A significant modernization came in 2013, when Loto-Québec partnered with Moment Factory to renew the gaming areas. The work incorporated digital media into the physical environment, including a large installation extending across three floors. The area later branded The Zone opened in late 2014. These changes reflected an effort to make the casino a broader entertainment destination and to distinguish it from a conventional gaming hall. The casino's history also includes a notable gaming-technology controversy. In April 1994, player Daniel Corriveau won C$600,000 in keno after repeatedly identifying winning-number patterns. Although he attributed his success to a computer analysis based on chaos theory, investigators determined that the casino's electronic pseudorandom-number generator had been inadequately configured. The machine was reset each morning with the same seed, producing a sequence that could be anticipated. Corriveau was cleared of misconduct and paid his winnings. The physical complex eventually consisted of three interconnected buildings, including an annex linked to the former Québec Pavilion by an enclosed bridge. Its facilities expanded to more than 3,000 slot machines, over 80 gaming tables, speed lotteries, virtual games, restaurants, bars, a cabaret and meeting spaces. The venue also developed a regular calendar of concerts, dances, comedy performances and holiday programming, including an all-night New Year's celebration. The COVID-19 period brought another operational change. In 2020, the casino ended its 24-hour schedule for the first time since 1997 and adopted overnight closing hours. In 2021, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, its fine-dining restaurant associated with the international chef brand, closed permanently. Casino de Montréal continues to operate under the Société des casinos du Québec, a Loto-Québec subsidiary. As a public-sector gaming asset, its profits flow to the Quebec government. The property reported approximately 2,800 employees in 2019.
- 2021
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon closes
[1]The casino's fine-dining restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon permanently shuts down.
- 2020
24-hour schedule is discontinued
[1]During the COVID-19 period, the casino adopts overnight closing hours rather than continuing its 24-hour schedule.
- 2014
The Zone opens
[1]The renovated property opens The Zone area in late 2014.
- 2013
Gaming areas receive a digital renovation
[1]Loto-Québec and Moment Factory begin a major renewal featuring large-scale digital media installations.
- 2006
Smoking lounges close
[1]The casino closes its smoking lounges following the introduction of a new Quebec provincial law.
- 2003
Smoking is prohibited
[1]The casino becomes a non-smoking establishment.
- 1997
Around-the-clock operation begins
[1]The casino extends its operating schedule to 24 hours a day.
- 1994
Keno equipment flaw is discovered
[1]An investigation into a C$600,000 keno win finds that repeated morning initialization of the random-number generator made the sequence predictable.
- 1993
Casino de Montréal opens
[1]The casino opens on October 9 in renovated former Expo 67 buildings and becomes the first casino in the provincial project.
- 1992
Quebec creates the provincial casino corporation
[1]The Quebec government establishes the Société des casinos du Québec to develop and operate casinos in the province.
Products and positioning
A major government-operated Quebec casino combining large-scale gaming with restaurants, nightlife, live entertainment and event facilities in a landmark former Expo 67 setting.
Electronic gaming · 1993
Slot machines
Slot machines form a major part of the casino's gaming offer. The property is described as having more than 3,000 machines distributed across its large gaming floor, giving visitors access to a broad range of electronic casino games.
Live casino gaming · 1993
Table games
Casino de Montréal operates more than 80 gaming tables. The table-game area is part of the property's principal casino offer and complements its electronic gaming, lottery and virtual-game facilities.
Lottery gaming · 1993
Keno and speed lotteries
The casino provides keno and other speed-lottery formats. These offerings form a separate component of the gaming floor and were involved in the well-known 1994 incident concerning a predictable electronic number sequence.
Digital gaming · 1993
Virtual games
Virtual games extend the casino's gaming mix beyond physical slot machines and tables. They are presented alongside the property's other gaming options within its large, technology-supported entertainment environment.
Hospitality and entertainment · 1993
Restaurants, bars and cabaret
The complex includes restaurants, bars and a cabaret, allowing it to operate as an evening and entertainment destination in addition to a casino. Its hospitality offer has included fine dining, although L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon closed permanently in 2021.
Gaming and digital entertainment area · 2014
The Zone
The Zone is an area created during the casino's 2013-2014 renovation program. Its development incorporated digital media and redesigned gaming spaces, including a prominent installation extending across three floors.
Controversies
1994
Predictable keno number sequence
Daniel Corriveau won C$600,000 after repeatedly selecting winning keno numbers. Investigators found that the electronic pseudorandom number generator was reset each morning with the same seed, making its output predictable. Corriveau was cleared of wrongdoing and received the winnings.
Marketing campaigns
- Annual New Year's celebration
Canada · Quebec
Casino de Montréal holds a recurring New Year's event featuring DJs and musicians, a large countdown screen and programming that runs from the afternoon into the following morning.
Outcome. Recurring event
Brand decisions
2020
Reduction of operating hours during the pandemicStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic led to operational changes at the casino.
Action taken
The property ended its 24-hour schedule and began closing at 3:00 a.m., or 5:00 a.m. on weekends according to the cited source.
Aftermath
The change marked the first interruption of 24-hour operation since 1997.
2013
Digital renewal of gaming areasGeneration changeBackground
Loto-Québec sought to renew the casino environment and collaborated with Moment Factory on the project.
Action taken
The gaming areas were redesigned with digital installations, including a wall extending across three floors.
Aftermath
The Zone opened in late 2014 as a named area within the renewed complex.
2003
Transition to a non-smoking casinoOtherBackground
Changes to Quebec's smoking rules affected the operation of gaming venues.
Action taken
The casino prohibited smoking on its premises and later closed its smoking lounges in 2006.
Aftermath
The property operated as a smoke-free casino.
1997
Adoption of 24-hour operationStrategyBackground
The casino expanded its schedule after its initial years of operation.
Action taken
Casino de Montréal began operating around the clock.
Aftermath
The 24-hour schedule continued until it was discontinued during the COVID-19 period in 2020.
1992
Launch of Quebec's provincial casino programStrategyBackground
The Quebec government created the Société des casinos du Québec and tasked it with developing casinos in the province.
Action taken
The corporation developed Casino de Montréal as the first casino in the program, using former Expo 67 pavilion buildings.
Aftermath
The Montreal property opened in 1993 and became part of Quebec's publicly operated casino network.
Reported construction cost. C$95 million (Project completed before the October 1993 opening)
Sources2 sources
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