Casino Rama
A First Nations-owned casino, hotel, and entertainment resort in Rama, Ontario.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Casino Rama is an integrated casino and resort complex located on the reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Rama, Ontario. The property combines casino gaming, hotel accommodation, dining, a spa, and a large live-entertainment venue. It opened on July 31, 1996, and is described as Ontario’s only First Nations commercial casino, distinct from a lower-tier charity casino. It is also regarded as the largest First Nations casino in Canada. The resort is jointly owned by the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Casino operations are contracted to Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited. This ownership and operating structure places the property at the intersection of Indigenous economic development, Ontario’s regulated gaming system, and destination hospitality. The casino’s location north of Toronto enables it to serve regional visitors while also attracting guests for concerts, comedy performances, sporting events, dining, and overnight stays. The casino floor covers approximately 192,000 square feet and includes about 1,800 slot machines and 50 table games. The wider resort has a 289-room hotel, spa facilities, and ten restaurants. Its Entertainment Centre seats more than 5,000 people and has hosted a broad range of international performers, comedians, musicians, and touring productions. The venue has also been used for boxing and mixed martial arts events, including a Bellator Fighting Championships event in 2011. Casino Rama has experienced several notable operational and reputational events. In 2007, police investigated a baccarat-cheating scheme involving approximately $2 million and arrested a group that included casino employees. In 2013, the resort completed a multimillion-dollar renovation. A private computer system was compromised in a November 2016 cyberattack, with hackers obtaining sensitive financial and contact information relating to guests and staff. Like many Canadian gaming and hospitality venues, the resort temporarily closed on March 16, 2020, in response to COVID-19 regulations. It announced a reopening plan in July 2021 and reopened on July 29, 2021. The brand’s central proposition is a full-service entertainment destination rather than a gaming-only venue. Its casino, hotel, restaurants, theatre, and event programming allow it to appeal to both gamblers and non-gaming visitors. Casino Rama remains an active Ontario resort and a prominent example of a First Nations commercial casino operating within Canada’s regulated gaming and tourism landscape.
History
Casino Rama opened on July 31, 1996, on the reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Rama, Ontario. The property was developed as a commercial casino and later operated as a broader resort complex incorporating gaming, accommodation, dining, entertainment, and spa services. Its ownership is shared by the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, while casino operations are contracted to Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited. The resort occupies an important place in Ontario’s gaming sector because it is identified as the province’s only First Nations commercial casino, as opposed to a charity casino. It is also described as the largest First Nations casino in Canada. The ownership model links the casino to the economic development activities of the Rama First Nation while placing its gaming operations within Ontario’s regulated lottery and gaming framework. Over time, Casino Rama expanded its role beyond casino gambling. Its facilities include a 289-room hotel, a casino floor of approximately 192,000 square feet, ten restaurants, a spa, and an Entertainment Centre with seating for more than 5,000 people. The venue became a destination for touring musicians, comedians, magicians, and other performers. Artists associated with performances at the theatre have included Tony Bennett, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross, Olivia Newton-John, Gloria Estefan, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and many other international acts. The venue has also hosted comedy and variety entertainers, including Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Howie Mandel, Tim Allen, and David Copperfield. Celtic Thunder filmed two concert specials at the site, and Canadian performers such as Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy have appeared there. The Entertainment Centre has also supported combat-sports programming. Casino Rama hosted boxing events promoted under the name “Rumble at Rama.” On April 2, 2011, it hosted an Ontario-sanctioned mixed martial arts event promoted as an early major MMA event in the province, although the claim that it was Ontario’s first sanctioned MMA event was disputed because earlier events had taken place at Six Nations of the Grand River. Casino Rama subsequently hosted a Bellator Fighting Championships event in July 2011. The property has faced several significant operational challenges. In 2007, police investigated a baccarat-cheating operation valued at approximately $2 million; those arrested included several casino employees. In 2013, the resort underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. In November 2016, a cyberattack compromised a private computer system and exposed sensitive financial and contact information relating to guests and staff. The resort later closed on March 16, 2020, as part of the response to COVID-19 restrictions. It announced reopening plans in July 2021 and resumed operations on July 29, 2021. Casino Rama continues to operate as a combined gaming, hospitality, and entertainment destination in Ontario.
- 2021
Post-pandemic reopening
[1]The resort reopened on July 29 after announcing its reopening plan earlier that month.
- 2020
COVID-19 closure
[1]Casino Rama temporarily closed on March 16 because of COVID-19 regulations.
- 2016
Cyberattack
[1]A November cyberattack compromised a private computer system and exposed sensitive guest and staff information.
- 2013
Multimillion-dollar renovation
[1]The resort completed a multimillion-dollar renovation.
- 2011
Combat-sports programming expands
[1]Casino Rama hosted a major mixed martial arts event in April and a Bellator Fighting Championships event in July.
- 2007
Baccarat-cheating investigation
[1]Police investigated an approximately $2 million baccarat-cheating scheme and arrested several people, including casino employees.
- 1996
Casino Rama opens
[1]Casino Rama opened on July 31 on the reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Ontario.
Products and positioning
Integrated casino and entertainment resort combining regulated gaming, hotel accommodation, dining, live performances, and event tourism.
Gaming · 1996
Casino
The casino is the core gaming operation at Casino Rama. Its approximately 192,000-square-foot floor includes about 1,800 slot machines and 50 table games. The offering positions the resort as a large destination casino within Ontario’s regulated gaming market.
Hospitality
Casino Rama Hotel
The resort hotel provides 289 rooms for visitors attending the casino, concerts, sporting events, dining experiences, and other leisure activities. The hotel supports Casino Rama’s integrated-resort model by allowing guests to stay on site rather than treating the casino as a day-trip-only attraction.
Live entertainment
Entertainment Centre
The Entertainment Centre is a concert and performance venue with capacity for more than 5,000 people. It has hosted international music acts, Canadian performers, comedians, magicians, and filmed concert productions, making live entertainment a major part of the resort’s non-gaming appeal.
Food and beverage
Restaurants and dining
Casino Rama includes ten restaurants and food-service venues serving resort visitors, casino guests, hotel residents, and concert audiences. Dining contributes to the property’s positioning as a full-service destination rather than a standalone gaming floor.
Wellness
Spa
Spa facilities complement the casino, hotel, and entertainment operations by providing a leisure and wellness component for resort guests.
Events · 2011
Combat-sports events
Casino Rama has hosted boxing events under the Rumble at Rama name and mixed martial arts programming, including a Bellator Fighting Championships event in 2011.
Controversies
2016
Guest and staff data exposed in cyberattack
Hackers accessed a private computer system in November 2016 and obtained sensitive financial and contact information associated with casino guests and staff.
2007
Baccarat-cheating scheme
Police investigated a baccarat-cheating operation involving approximately $2 million. Several people were arrested, including individuals employed by Casino Rama.
Brand decisions
2020
Temporary closure under COVID-19 regulationsOtherBackground
Public-health regulations introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic affected casinos, hotels, entertainment venues, and other hospitality businesses.
Action taken
Casino Rama closed temporarily on March 16, 2020.
Aftermath
The resort later announced a reopening plan in July 2021 and resumed operations on July 29, 2021.
2013
Undertook a multimillion-dollar resort renovationStrategyBackground
Casino Rama operated as a large integrated casino, hotel, and entertainment property requiring periodic investment in its facilities.
Action taken
The resort completed a multimillion-dollar renovation.
Aftermath
The renovation marked a major reinvestment in the property, although the available reference material does not specify its precise scope or financial return.
Sources1 sources
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