In 1980, Ron Derochers and David Ng opened the first private casino in Calgary and Alberta in general. It is located on Blackfoot Road, an area dominated by light industry, with many office buildings and commercial establishments. Calgary International Airport is 10 miles from the casino, which helps attract not only local customers, but also tourists, writes calgary-future.
Casino entertainment and benefits
Initially, the casino was only allowed to hold charitable board games and events with agricultural and religious themes. And later, more than 600 gaming machines were placed there. Among the available games are poker, roulette, blackjack (a card game where each player plays personally against the dealer), baccarat (a card game where the player must guess which hand is closest to a set value), craps (a dice game where players place bets on the result of rolling the dice), Pai Gow (a type of poker known as double-handed poker) and others.
From the outside, the building was built quite mediocre, but inside they created a bright atmosphere with a lot of slots and board games. The poker room is equipped with eight tables and exclusive limits that are not found in any other part of the casino. In a separate part, VIP slots have been installed, which include classic games such as Robin Hood, American Original or Jungle Wild.
Cash Casino has a variety of additional conveniences that visitors can enjoy. In particular, several restaurants were placed in the center of the playground. There is also a dance floor and a sports bar that broadcasts sports, but betting on sporting events is prohibited in Alberta.
Loyalty program and prize competition
In order to give players the opportunity to receive bigger and better rewards, the casino introduced the Winner’s Edge loyalty program. The principle of the program is that the player collects loyalty points. For every $5 wagered on any slot machine or table game, 1 point is awarded.
These points can then be exchanged for free play at Cash Casino or additional bonuses in contests/promotions. Also, this program gives a 10% discount on some dishes from the menu of casino restaurants. For even more incentive for new members, we have created an opportunity to win when joining the program: a random new member of the loyalty program has a chance to win 500,000 bonus points.
In addition, to increase public interest and confidence in casinos, a monthly cash prize contest is held throughout Alberta.
What other casinos have opened in Calgary?
Cowboys Casino was the second casino to open in Calgary. It was founded in 1988 after the successful 8-year operation of Cash Casino. Cowboys Casino was built in Victoria Park, a gaming area was placed there, as well as a bar, two restaurants and a dance hall. Clients were given access to a night massage and free breakfast.
In 1992, the owners of Cash Casino opened another casino in Calgary called Red Deer. It was located near the second Calgary highway – between the international airports of Calgary and Edmonton.
By the way, in February 2020, SM2 together with Newstar Capital acquired Cash Casino and Red Deer. During the temporary closure due to COVID-19, the company redesigned, updated and modernized these casinos. Cash Casino opened a new large poker arena with 12 tables, an Asian-style slot room, and a new gaming area with 20 gold tables. Lighting, signs, cash registers were also updated, new public toilets and a new kitchen for the restaurant and bars were made, and staff quarters were modernized. In addition, they began to serve customers coffee and soft drinks throughout the day absolutely free of charge.
