Kewadin St. Ignace Casino Michigan Review for November 2024

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace, also known as Kewadin Shores Casino, offers a beautiful casino resort on the shores of Lake Huron.

Owned by the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the original Kewadin St. Ignace opened in 1987, just two years after the tribes primary resort at Sault Ste. Marie.

However, in 2006 a complete redevelopment of the property took place leaving the Kewadin Casino St. Ignace that we see today.

Situated at the Gateway to the Upper Peninsula, Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is within easy reach of Mackinac Island and the impressive Mackinac Bridge.

It’s waterfront location means it provides stunning views and indeed its own appearance is attractive combining pastel colours with artistic wood beams and brick architecture. 

My initial thoughts on seeing the resort were that the light blue, pale yellow, and white fascia felt very beach hut-style. But when I saw the entrance it also had that familiar rustic style of wood and brick that is a characteristic of all the Kewadin resorts.

As well as a fabulous location, the resort has a wide range of other amenities that make it appealing. The casino, pool, fitness centre, indoor and outdoor event space, range of bars, and restaurants means there’s plenty for visitors to do. 

With that in mind, I went to Michigan to experience it for myself. 

The aesthetics, both inside and outside at Kewadin Casino St. Ignace are impressive. I already liked the outward appearance, but stepping into the hotel lobby, it was just as stunning.

With large windows, polished shiny floors and a fabulous interior featuring native culture, brick, rock and wood, it made an incredible first impression.

The casino at Kewadin Casino St. Ignace has a gaming floor of around 26,000 square feet. If you’re familiar with Las Vegas then that’s similar to the size of the Four Queens casino floor.

I saw various bits of theming throughout the resort including exposed brick pillars in the casino, but looking up while playing slots, the ceiling didn’t really match the rest of the surroundings. 

It might sound a bit odd to point that out, but it just really caught my eye. Usually casinos use the ceiling space to hang impressive lighting or art or at least tie the theme together, but this one looked more like a warehouse-type ceiling and meant the casino lost a bit of character, from my point of view. 

The other thing I wasn’t keen on in the casino was how close together the slot machines were. Although there were a few circular banks of slots, the majority were laid out in long rows, with hardly any space either between or behind slots.

I played slots for a little while but was back-to-back with other players and it wasn’t very comfortable so I moved a couple of times to find more space. 

I did see a waitress serving drinks on the casino floor but didn’t get a chance to order one with moving positions. I know that drinks aren’t comped though and need to be paid for when ordering. 

To be honest, I was happy with the self-serve soda machines which kept me topped up in free soft drinks while gaming.

Just for information, since 2022 guests 18 years and over are allowed to gamble at all Kewadin casinos, which isn’t always the case in US casinos. 

You’ll find around 700 slots and 20 table games at Kewadin Casino St. Ignace. And, with only 26,000 square feet to put them, I wasn’t surprised they were tightly packed together.

Although I liked the variety of the slots, with everything from old three-reel games and penny slots to modern video slots, I’m not a fan of playing slots elbow-to-elbow with other players, which I was here.

Personally I would prefer 100 fewer slots but with more space to enjoy them. But of course I understand the business reason for this. And that’s why I only play in casinos instead of owning one!

Despite its small size and jam-packed casino floor, there was a nice atmosphere and once I’d moved slots to somewhere a little less busy, I enjoyed it more.

The casino had a good-sized virtual table games area which I’ve noticed popping up more and more. Afterall, they are an affordable way to offer table games to punters. I saw virtual roulette, blackjack and craps available, and they were all fairly busy.

Live table games are available at Kewadin Casino St. Ignace but only Wednesday through Sunday from 4pm. If you want to play table games at other times, then you’ll have to use the electronic ones. 

Table games on offer include Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Heads Up Hold ‘Em, and Let It Ride with minimum bets starting from $10.

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace hosts regular slots tournaments and bingo sessions, so if this is of interest, make sure you check out the events calendar on the website.  

And if you enjoy placing sports bets, then you’ll find some sports betting kiosks in White Tail Sports Bar. Don’t go there expecting the kind of incredible sportsbooks you find at brand new casinos nowadays, though. 

With only 81 rooms, Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is on the smaller side. I noticed when I arrived at the resort that there was no big hotel tower. Instead, the rooms were over three floors and spread out over a wider ground space. This gave it more of a cosy and exclusive feel to me especially with the lake-front backdrop.

The hotel is non-smoking and offers either Standard or Suite Rooms. I booked a Standard Room which was actually really big.

The décor wasn’t the most modern I’d seen but it was more than adequate. As well as the bed which had a light wood bed frame, there were other bits of light wood furniture – a TV unit, a table and chair, wardrobe and bedside tables. There was also a comfy armchair and a coffee table.

The bathroom was small with a combination bath/shower, single sink, some toiletries and there was also a coffee machine in there too. While the usual amenities were also in the room – hairdryer, iron/ironing board, safe and TV.

The best part of the room without a doubt, though, was the balcony. With breathtaking views over Lake Huron, it was incredible to just sit out there and soak up the scene, especially at sunset. That was worth the room cost alone.

If you prefer not to stay in the hotel, but bring your RV instead, then there’s an RV Park with 28 spaces available. Amenities include electrical service and water hook ups for $30 per night and RV guests also have use of hotel’s indoor pool and fitness room. 

Make sure you check the calendar if you’re planning on using the RV Park though as it closes for outdoor concerts and events. 

Staff

All of the staff that I spoke to were professional and friendly during my stay. From the team at the front desk to the table dealers and servers too.

I had food and drink in the White Tail Sports Bar and the team there were lovely and made me feel really welcome.

Food

The main eatery at Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is the Horseshoe Bay Restaurant. Offering spectacular views over Lake Huron, the restaurant is a really nice and light-filled place to eat.

Horseshoe Bay is open from 7am offering everything from a full breakfast menu, to soups, salads, burgers, and steaks.

The only downside is that its only open Thursday to Sunday, so if you’re visiting Monday to Wednesday you’ll be out of luck.

White Tail Sports Bar is another food option offering bar snacks such as wings, nachos, and sliders in a casual setting.Meanwhile, Campfire Deli is a café that is open every day serving a good-sized menu with breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and a range of light bites and appetizers.

Entertainment

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace has regular live entertainment for guests to enjoy.

Northern Pines Lounge is located right in the centre of the casino and features live music every Friday and Saturday night.

The Event Center is where you’ll find the bigger events, with regular headline acts. The venue sits up to 1,800 and has hosted artists such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Cheap Trick, and Don Felder.  

There’s an outdoor event space too for more festival type-events. At the time of writing, an 80’s Rock Invasion outdoor event is planned.

If you prefer your entertainment to be a little quieter, then don’t forget Kewadin Shores Casino also has an indoor heated pool, hot tub, and fitness centre.

I found the pool a really relaxing place to chill out for a while, not only because it has comfortable daybeds to lounge around in, but it also has fantastic views of Lake Huron.

There is also a small arcade with games for all guests to enjoy. It’s just beside the fitness room.

Outside of the casino, Mackinac Island and Mackinac Bridge are very popular tourist attractions that you may want to visit. Mackinac Bridge, also known as ‘Big Mac’ or ‘Mighty Mac’ is just under seven miles away and offers stunning views over the five-mile-long bridge going over to Mackinaw City.

If you want to visit the historic Mackinac Island you can take the ferry from St. Ignace Island Ferry Service which is five miles away from Kewadin St. Ignace Casino. 

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is accessible to wheelchair and reduced mobility users. Service animals are also accepted, but no other pets are allowed in resort.

The loyalty program at Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is the same program that is used at all Kewadin resorts – Northern Rewards.

You can sign up by taking a government issued ID along to a Northern Rewards desk at any Kewadin casino. Make sure you sign up to the monthly mailer when you register so you can get your monthly offers emailed to you.

Once registered, you can build up Club Points and Tier Points by gambling in Kewadin resorts. The points will then enable you to claim benefits and perks in return.

The difference between the points is that Club Points have a monetary value while Tier Points help you climb the status tiers.

100 Club Points is equal to $1 which you can then redeem to pay for hotel bills, dining, show tickets, gift shop purchases, and slot freeplay.

Tier Points have no monetary value but allow you to climb the status tiers and therefore receive more perks.

When it comes to earning points every $4 bet in slot play and every $8 bet in video poker will earn you one Club Point and one Tier Point. Additionally, every $10 bet on table games will earn you one Tier Point.

The Northern Rewards Tiers and benefits are as follows:

• Green Card (1–1,499 Tier points) – comp rooms, 5% dining and shopping discount, comp shuttle service from airport, valet service
• Silver Card (1,500–7,499 Tier points) – as above plus 10% discounts, birthday offers and 2x point multiplier days
• Gold Card (7,500–34,999 Tier points) – as above plus exclusive invitations, room upgrades, guaranteed show reservations, 15% discounts and 3x multiplier days
• Black Card (35,000+ Tier Points) – as above plus guaranteed hotel reservations, late check out, access to Executive Host, 20% discounts, 4x multiplier days

There is also an additional card which is the Valor Card and is available to all active, retired and honourably discharged military, police, fire, and EMS. This card is basically the equivalent to the Gold Card and gets you all of those benefits.

Although climbing the status tiers does bring more perks overall, it isn’t necessary in order to receive benefits. You can use your Club Points to redeem rewards even on the lowest tier level.

Another couple of reasons to join Northern Rewards is that being a member allows entry into all promotions and special events, which usually include cash prizes, merchandise prizes, gas discounts, breakfasts etc.

Also, if you live south the Mackinac Bridge or north of the International Bridge and have to pay a bridge fare to come to the casino, you can get your bridge toll refunded with $8 in Kewadin Credits.

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is certainly a memorable place to visit. Much of that has to do with its location though.

When I first arrived at the resort and saw the attractive exterior and the stunning river views behind it, I was instantly excited about staying here. That excitement heightened ever further walking into the spectacular entrance and impressive lobby.

The resort had a really nice feel to it from the moment I got there and that didn’t really change. 

Staff were friendly, the restaurants and bars were nice, and I couldn’t fault the pool area. My room was more than acceptable and the views from the balcony were outstanding.

From a personal point of view I was a little disappointed with the casino size and layout. I would have liked more casino space in general (more space = more games) but also I prefer a more comfortable and less cluttered playing space. 

The priority seemed to be on maximising the floor space with games rather than player comfort. But this is very much a personal opinion. The casino did still have a really nice atmosphere, possibly even as a result of the layout decisions.

⭐ Standout moment

It had to be walking out on my room balcony for the first time and seeing the view. Don’t worry if you don’t have a river view though, you can catch great views from the Horseshoe Bay Restaurant and the outside decking too. 

In fact, just the general surroundings of the resort are lovely, there’s plenty of green space with flowers and picnic tables and you can even walk right down to the water’s edge where there’s a tiny beach area.

If you’re looking for a nice tranquil place to visit, and enjoy some casino play too, then you really can’t go wrong with Kewadin Casino St. Ignace. It offers you both.

If, however, you are going purely for the casino, then bear in mind that it is quite limited. 

The good news is it’s open 24 hours a day and it has lots of variety. The bad news is it’s quite small, tightly packed, and the live tables games have restricted hours.

With the main restaurant also having restricted hours, only being open Thursday to Sunday, it means that Monday to Wednesday is often quiet and you have limited choices.

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace does have lots of other non-casino positives though with the pool, fitness room, bars, events programme and, of course, the lake side location. 

It is also very close to the centre of St. Ignace with lots of tourist attractions and water sports and it is the perfect location from which to explore Mackinac Island. That tourism element is something gambling in person will always have over even the best online casinos.

All-in-all Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is a resort I’ll remember and I would definitely make a return visit. 

🧭 How to Get There

Kewadin Casino St. Ignace is situated just off the I-75. If you’re coming from the south take exit 348, turn left onto Mackinac Trail and the resort is two miles ahead on your right. 

If you’re coming from the north take exit 352, turn left on M-123 and then right on Mackinac Trail. The casino will be on your left after approximately 4 miles.

Free parking is offered on site for hotel and casino guests.

A shuttle service runs daily from 9am – 3am to and from Kewadin Casino St. Ignace from other area hotels, local attractions and city campgrounds. To arrange transport, all you have to do is call the shuttle line and request a pick up. 

If arriving into Chippewa County International Airport (CIU) or Sanderson Field (Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan) then a complimentary airport shuttle service is offered for hotel guests who give a minimum of 24-hour’s notice.