New Author For A Day Challenge: Your Local Casino

SailorDude talks about his home casino — and so could you!

I’m sitting here, counting the days down until I’m back in Vegas again (it’s 36). Like most mornings I visited Vegas Bright to see what’s going on, but this time I took a look at the “Our Team” section and read the VB author profiles. It seems as though we are a geographically diverse group, and I’d be keen to learn a little more about some of the local Gambling Halls that each of your frequent. So with that idea, I’ve come up with a new Author for a day topic…What’s your Home Casino? Let me start with mine, Caesars Windsor.

Caesars Windsor is located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada which is about 2 hours from where I live. Because my job sends me to Windsor on a regular basis, I always stay at Caesars overnight when I’m in town. The property is owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, but it’s operated by Caesars Entertainment and thus has a Vegas feel. The Hotel has two towers (Forum and Augustus), each with almost 400 rooms. The gaming space is over 100,000 sq ft, and there is a 5,000 seat Colosseum for visiting shows (no residency acts).

The last show I took in at the Colosseum was Ron White. It just so happens my wife ran into Ron at the Hotel Spa prior to his set as he was getting pampered. It must’ve worked too because he killed it that night! The Colosseum books big names on a regular basis with the likes of Bill Engvall, Rascal Flatts, Journey, and Jeff Dunham coming up.

As for the hotel, the rooms in both towers are pretty much the same however the Augustus tower rooms all have a river view, while only half of the rooms in the Forum tower do. The beds are very comfortable, the linens are high quality, and in general, the rooms are spacious. The rooms all come with a soaker tub, a separate shower, a bar fridge, and a coffee maker.

There are a number of food choices at Caesars Windsor and my favourite is Nero’s Steakhouse. The Canadian Angus Striploin is delicious and at only $33 is a bargain in my opinion. There are a number of different sides to choose from, but I recommend either the steak cut fries or if you’re looking to splurge a little the Crab Legs are excellent!

If you’re looking for something a little more casual, there is the Market Buffet, The Artist Café, Pronto Café, and Johnny Rockets. You can also visit Legends sports bar for some excellent pub grub and to do some sports wagering.

You’re not going to go thirsty at Caesars Windsor either, there are a bunch of bars around the property. I recommend visiting Cosmos for some casual cocktails or pints, all the while watching some excellent local cover bands. The fancy nightclub at Caesars Windsor is called Arius (disclaimer: I’ve never stepped foot in the place).

What I like most about Caesars Windsor is the gambling. I don’t play slots, but my friends that do find the slots to be loose. The Poker room isn’t overly large, but they do have nightly tournaments with buy-in as low as $65. The table games on weekends are $15 minimums, but on weekdays you can find $5 blackjack w/ 3:2 payouts, $5 roulette, and $5 craps with 5X odds (they also have Baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Let it Ride, and Pai Gow Poker). Roulette has both 0/00 but none of this 000 bull$#!T that I’ve heard is floating around Vegas now. And while the table limits are reasonable, and the odds are good, it’s the dealers that make the gambling that much more fun (don’t forget to tip!). Many dealers are long time employees of the casino which from my experience make them quick, accurate and entertaining. I find they make me laugh on a regular basis with their quick one-liners, even when I’m losing.

Finally, the bonus for me is that I can still collect my Total Rewards points and can use my card for discounts (i.e. they waive the $11 resort fee if you’re a TR member). For you Americans, your dollar is currently worth ~$1.35 Canadian right now, so your gambling budget goes further. If that doesn’t sound great, how’s this…NO TAXES ON WINNINGS! That’s right, you eat what you kill at Caesars Windsor. You may be asking, “Alright Sailordude, what’s the catch?”. Well, the catch is you have to pay for your own drinks as the government doesn’t allow for free alcohol. Can you dig it?

Do I recommend you visit Caesars Windsor? Hell yeah, I do. It doesn’t replace Vegas for me, but it does fill the void until I can get back to Sin City. So come on down to Southwestern Ontario and check it out sometime!

That’s my local Gambling Hall…what’s yours?

[Photos: Sailordude]

Yep, we’re doing a new Author For a Day Challenge! If you’d like to take part of the action… 

1). Write your article and send it to the email address below:

2) Include your own photos (you also give us non-exclusive rights to use them on our website and social media where applicable). At least get exterior shots. We know snapping pics inside a casino could be risky, you agree to do so at your own risk and do not hold VegasBright liable (it sucks that we have to say this kinda stuff). You can probably get food spots and non-gaming spots without issue. Better yet, do not shoot pics of gaming areas. Now our assets are covered and it’s on you. Our lawyer just sighed in relief. He’s picky. Use a phone, not a professional camera setup. Don’t look obvious.

3) If you’d prefer to use a pseudonym instead of your name please say so in the email, we’re happy to oblige.

4) Don’t worry about “not being a good writer” we’ll edit where necessary and it’ll be our little secret.

5) The deadline is June 3rd, 2017…that’s firm (sorry). If you miss it, we have other Author For a Day Challenges Scheduled!

Sailordude

Husband, Father, Yachtsman, Rum Drinker, Beer League Hockey Goalie, Canadian, and now Writer (I guess?). Darren loves to visit Vegas a couple times a year and considers himself a low roller extraordinaire. “Long time lurker of VegasChatter, I’ve learnt the ways of those that came before me (to Vegas).” – Sailordude