River Cree Resort and Casino

Looking for excitement? Wanting a night out to remember? Craving a weekend escape? The River Cree Resort and Casino is your ideal destination, open and ready to exceed all your expectations with all safety protocols in place.

Voted the Gold Winner in the Casino category for the seventh year in a row, the River Cree is far more than just a casino.

Proudly owned by Enoch Cree Nation, the River Cree Resort and Casino is rated amongst the top few integrated resorts in Canada. With multiple restaurants and lounges, 1350 slot machines, 40 game tables, ample banquet and meeting space on site, and two Nhl-sized skating rinks that are available for hockey leagues, private bookings or public skate times, the River Cree is the ultimate destination for fun and adventure.

But why limit yourself to just one night when you can stay for the weekend or more while enjoying the pool and hot tub at their gorgeous onsite hotel?

“I would highly recommend getting one of our great hotel rooms, as we have luxury suites and king-sized rooms with amazing city views and plush, comfortable beds,” says Jayne Behm, the River Cree’s Director of Marketing. “And for a date night I would try Italia – A Taste of Italy, which is our newest restaurant.”

Serving the greater Edmonton area for the last 14 years, the River Cree has long been a soughtafter destination for their excellent customer service, diverse dining options, and great promotions. Top quality food and beverages is the hallmark of all the restaurants at the River Cree, says Behm, adding that tableside buffet service is also available, meaning the staff at the River Cree bring the buffet right to you.

“Our food and beverage promotions definitely draw people to visit us; we have all-you-can-eat seafood or prime rib on select nights, plus many other daily dining specials, including a 2-for1 entrée promotion in Italia on Wednesdays and Thursdays,” explains Behm. A full list of the River Cree’s dining promotions for each day of the week can be reviewed in advance on their website to help plan your visit.

Farmore than just a casino

For those looking for excitement and entertainment, the River Cree casino is the premier destination in Edmonton, with a variety of slot machines, video lottery terminals, and game tables to choose from. These can all be found in their 100 per cent non-smoking environment on the main casino floor. Meanwhile, guests who prefer a smoker-friendly environment are welcome to use EMBERS, a separate state-of-the-art casino and lounge area. And regardless of which amenity you’re enjoying, all of the River Cree’s facilities have additional safety measures in place for the

COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were ready with all of our COVID safety protocols on day one of re-opening, as we were working diligently behind the scenes during the closure to ensure we were ready to safely reopen,” assures Behm, adding that the River Cree has actually exceeded all the recommended safety measures for the protection of their visitors and staff.

“We’ve installed Plexiglas barriers in between all of our slot machines, game tables, and all tables in all of our restaurants. Masks are mandatory, and we do have complimentary masks available, as well,” says Behm.

And because the River Cree has always been a popular and busy locale, their team of experts have devised a way of ensuring they’re enforcing the recommended capacity limits at all times.

“We have a real-time capacity monitor of entrants at all of our entrances so we can tell in real time exactly how many people are in all areas of our casino,” says Behm. “This allows us to be very pro-active in ensuring a proper capacity and proper physical distancing for all our guests at all times.”

The time and care that the team at the River Cree put in to ensuring everyone’s safety is also indicative of their commitment to the community in general. While a portion of all gaming revenue already goes to charity, the River Cree has gone above and beyond to assist specific charities over the years and especially over this recent summer.

“This summer we partnered with a bunch of different groups to do drive-in events to raise funds for some of those events that weren’t able to happen [because of COVID], as these events are what a lot of charities rely on for their funds,” describes Behm. “We offered up our parking lot and our event-planning services to help these charities facilitate their events.”

Quite a few organizations gratefully utilized these services from the River Cree this summer, drawing many satisfied supporters who were elated at the opportunity to be entertained in public again. The University of Alberta Hospital COVID Relief Foundation benefitted from a drive-in movie event. Additionally, the Alberta Food Bank profited from eight outdoor music concerts put on by local country singer Brett Kissel in the River Cree’s parking lot.

And while the pandemic has put a damper on their usual indoor world-class entertainment bookings, there’s always plenty to look forward to at the River Cree. As soon as it’s safe, star attractions like Mike Tyson, ZZ Top, and Jann Arden will be gracing the resort, ready to perform for guests and visitors alike.

“The River Cree Resort and Casino has always been an industry leader in entertainment in the greater Edmonton area,” says Behm. “We’re going to continue to serve our guests in our safe and welcoming environment as we look forward to being able to come back to normal and bring back our world-class entertainment.”

The future is definitely looking bright in Enoch Cree Nation, with so much to look forward to at the River Cree Resort and Casino in the coming months. For additional information on their venue and to book reservations, please visit their website at www.rivercreeresort.com.