Gold Horse Casino Saskatchewan Reviewed for 2024

As part of the SIGA casino dynasty, the Gold Horse Casino is a First Nation’s casino located in Lloydminster and is the city’s only gambling facility.

If you’re not familiar, SIGA is a non-profit corporation and casino entertainment director that started up in 1995 and now operates seven casinos throughout Saskatchewan.

The first four casinos in the chain opened their doors all the way back in 1996 and the other three have been added to the portfolio over the years, the Gold Horse Casino being one of them.

In fact, the Gold Horse Casino is actually SIGA’s latest venture, having opened for business in 2018.

I was excited at the prospect of visiting the newest casino in the chain, especially considering I’d visited a few of the older ones directly before, giving me the chance to pit this newcomer against them.

The Gold Horse Casino is open daily, 10am – 3am Sunday to Thursday, and 10am – 4am Friday to Saturday.

Considering it’s the only casino in the area, I was told it can get very busy and I can believe it as I visited mid-week and it was still pretty lively throughout the entire day.

The building is just shy of 50,000 square feet so there’s plenty of room to spread out and, more importantly, plenty of space to house the range of live table games, electronic table games, and slots.

Speaking of which, lets take a look at what the casino floor has to offer.

Location

The casino is located at 3910 41 Street in Lloydminster, Canada’s only Border City, which is on the Saskatchewan side of the provincial border.

As cities go, Lloydminster is small which means you’re never too far away from anything of interest.

However, the Gold Horse Casino is situated just off Highway 16, so there’s not a lot within the immediate area aside from industrial businesses.

Major cities of interest nearby (and when I say nearby I mean within 400 kilometres) include Edmonton and Calgary, while some smaller towns of interest nearby include Vermilion, Wainwright, Turtleford, and Maidstone.

Considering the casinos fairly isolated location, arriving by car is your best option. The casino provides plenty of free parking spaces, as do the hotels in the area, so you can park up and be on your merry way.

Considering the Gold Horse Casino is only six years old I went in expecting things to still be looking fairly fresh and I was proven to be correct.

Overall, I’d say the décor sways more towards traditional than modern which really surprised me considering I’ve visited much older SIGA casinos that have more of a modern vibe than this place.

However, I mean this in the best of ways. I think the traditional feel suits the First Nation background to a T.

Live Table Games

Live table games don’t tend to be SIGA casinos’ strong point and the Gold Horse Casino unfortunately doesn’t break away from this tradition.

There are five live tables but your only choices are two variations of blackjack or Chae the Flush. However, better something than nothing.

The live tables were all pretty busy when I visited (though I imagine they always are considering that there’s only a handful of them) and it made for a great atmosphere.

I jumped on a blackjack table and ended up staying much longer than I had originally planned thanks to a bout of good luck.

The dealer was great and even joined in on some of the chatter around the table – it struck me that some of the people sat around the table were locals and I enjoyed the amicable atmosphere.

Note that the live tables are open from 5pm – 1:30am Sunday to Thursday, and 5pm – 2am Friday to Saturday.

Slots

The slot selection here is fantastic and most definitely a highlight of the casino.

The casino is home to over 250 slots and you can choose form hundreds of titles from a number of top game providers including AGS, Aristocrat, and IGT.

Perhaps most interesting of all is the selection of progressive jackpot slot machines on offer hereSaskatchewan exclusives like Smoke Signals and Rider Nation.

The Smoke Signals slot jackpot famously starts at $1 million and actually drops fairly regularly considering its eminence. 

In fact, one lucky local walked away with $1.4 million after winning big on Smoke Signals just last year.

With the promise that the jackpot can drop at any time and time closing in on being 12 months since it was last won, I couldn’t resist a go. Unfortunately, Lady Luck appeared to have deserted me after my success at blackjack (typical) and I left empty handed. 

Electronic Table Games

You’ll find the Gold Horse Casino’s range of electronic table games in an area known as The Circuit.

There’s over a dozen machines and punters can choose from baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

What’s nice about the electronic table games here is how accessible they are as the minimum bet is just $2, so they’re great for those on a budget or those maybe just starting out.

Live dealers do sometimes host the games too which helps it feel a bit more immersive.

There is no on-site accommodation here so if you need somewhere to rest your head after a night on the tables, you will need to look elsewhere.

Thankfully though, there’s an abundance of hotels within a mile radius of the casino to choose from.

Situated just across the street from the casino is the Home Inn & Suites and this is where I decided to stay in the name of convenience. 

Some other options a little further down the street include the Microtel Inn and Suites and BCMInns.

If your bed for the evening is on wheels, the Gold Horse Casino does offer parking for RVs, but I’ll cover this in more detail later.

Food and Drink

Foodwise, there’s not many options in the area surrounding the casino which makes the Sports Bar and Grill inside the casino even more appealing.

The Sports Bar and Grill offers a fairly typical kind of casino menu, with guests being able to choose from things like steaks, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and a range of desserts. 

I thought the prices were a little steep here to be honest, with mains starting at around the $17 mark. 

I opted for the Bannock taco and it was nice but it didn’t blow me away.

The bar serves a range of premium spirits and shots but the focus is on the lager thanks to the exclusive SIGA own brew lagers, which I totally recommend trying out by the way.

The Sports Bar and Grill also boasts numerous screens which show the most relevant sporting action, making it the best place to take a break from the casino floor.

Another option is Kookum’s Kitchen which serves fried chicken alongside a range of sides like potato wedges and coleslaw. Again, I thought the prices were a little steep, with a four-piece combo coming in at almost $20.

If you don’t fancy a sit-down meal but find yourself a little peckish and needing something to tide you over, the Deli and Bar is located on the casino floor and offers light bites like hot dogs, sandwiches, soup, and noodle bowls.

Generally, I found the options here pretty good, which is always pleasing as it's something that gives land based venues an edge over the best online casinos.

Entertainment 

As is the case with the majority of SIGA casinos, regular entertainment is a given.

There wasn’t actually anything scheduled when I visited which is a shame, but you can expect to see things like live music, comedy shows, DJ sets, and tribute bands on a regular basis.

In fact, IKONS (a Canadian Kiss tribute band) are scheduled to perform at the casino at the end of October with tickets costing $40 each. 

I did ask a member of staff about this after catching a glimpse of an advert for it and they informed me that tickets are selling like hot cakes, so I’ve no doubt it will make for a fantastic evening. 

Dress Code

There’s no formal dress code in place at the Gold Horse Casino so think smart/casual and you’ll have no problems.

The Gold Horse Casino is fully accessible to wheelchair users. 

The Gold Horse Casino has a really impressive range of promotions on offer as well as a very attractive loyalty scheme in place.

Player’s Club Rewards

Just like all the other seven SIGA casinos, the Gold Horse Casino is part of the Players Club rewards program.

Singing up to the Player’s Club scheme is free to do and once registered you’ll receive a Players Club card which you can then insert into any of the slot machines or electronic gaming machines to start earning loyalty points.

The points system works as follows: 

• Slots – Earn 1 Players Club point for every $1 wagered.
• Electronic Gaming Machines – Players Club point for every $5 wagered.

Once you’ve managed to bag 1,000 points, you can trade them in for $5 cash back which can be used on any of the slot machines in any of the seven SIGA casinos.

The Player’s Club program isn’t just for points though; members benefit from 10% off dining at the restaurants, vouchers on their birthday, and access to exclusive draws.

To join, all you need to do is visit the Casino Players Club desk with a form of government-issued photo ID.

Promotions

The promotions at this casino are constantly changing but I’ve included a list for you to check out below which includes some of the promotions that were either on offer during my visit or have been offered within the last few months, so you can get a feel of what to expect:

• New Member Bonus – Sign up to the Player’s Club rewards club and receive $10 in slot play.
• Stay, Play, and Dine – Pay $10, play $20 promotion with a $5 coupon to the Bar and Grill restaurant for Player’s Club members staying at select local partnered hotels (includes my recommended Home Inn & Suites hotel).
• 55+ Day – Members 55 and over can spin to win free prizes every Monday inside the casino.
• Road Tripping with SIGA – Visit all seven SIGA casinos to receive free play and entries into their draw for one of seven travel package prizes.
• Let it Grow – Chance to win a cash prize, which grows if not claimed, every Tuesday.

I honestly really enjoyed my visit to the Gold Horse Casino, much more than I actually thought I would.

While the casino is generally good in terms of what it offers, I think my experience was made by something that’s hard to put into words: the atmosphere. 

Now, having visited all of SIGA’s seven casinos I can absolutely attest that the atmosphere tends to be pleasant in these venues. 

However, I just felt really at home at this casino in particular and I think it mainly boils down to the friendly staff and the particular crowd that was in there on the day of my visit. This is even more impressive when you consider that I visited mid-week.

While I would have liked to see a few more live table games on offer, I enjoyed what was there and I didn’t find that it impacted my visit too much.

I guess there’s a certain amount of pressure when you’re the only casino within hundreds of kilometres from the next one, but I think the Gold Horse Casino is a true gem and I’m really glad that I got the chance to visit.

I think everybody can have a good time here, though high rollers may be a little disappointed with the limited live table games and low betting limits.

With this in mind, I’d put this place down as more of a casual gambling experience, but a great one at that.

All in all, I think the Gold Horse Casino is a great addition to the SIGA lineage and I’d definitely recommend popping in if you have the chance.