Caesars Windsor

Caesars Windsor (formerly known as Casino Windsor) is a casino hotel located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is one of four casino resort hotels in the Detroit–Windsor area and was opened in May 1994 as a temporary casino on the waterfront of the Detroit River. The current, permanent resort opened on July 29, 1998. Owned by the Government of Ontario (through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation), it is operated by Caesars Entertainment. Both the 1998 Casino Windsor and 2008 expansion were designed by WZMH Architects.

The casino overlooks the Detroit skyline from the waterfront, and is near the Canadian end of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The creation of this casino was a leading factor in the Michigan legislature authorizing the legalization of casino gambling in Detroit in the early 21st century.

The "Forum" hotel tower stands at 23 stories tall and opened in 1998. The "Augustus" tower stands at 27 stories and opened in 2008. Caesars Windsor attracts about six million visitors annually, from Ontario, Canada; and Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other states in the Midwestern United States. Since 1999, its main competitors are the American MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino located across the river in Detroit.

In 1993, the Ontario government selected a joint venture of Caesars World, Circus Circus Enterprises, and Hilton Hotels to build and operate a province-owned casino.

Casino Windsor opened in a temporary location in May 1994 as Ontario's first casino. The former Art Gallery of Windsor, located on Riverside Drive, was refitted to house the interim casino. The casino attracted record numbers of customers, millions annually from the U.S. and Canada. Line-ups wrapped around the building. In response, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced it would bring a riverboat casino to the riverfront. The Northern Belle was located at the foot of Ouellette Avenue on the Detroit River. It was open from December 1995 to July 1998.

During this time, the permanent casino was under construction on the former Windsor Market site, a few blocks east of the temporary casino. It opened on July 29, 1998, with a grand opening celebration with a James Bond 007 theme. Daisy Fuentes and Regis Philbin were among the stars that attended. The new site included a waterfall and tropical entrance, hotel, five restaurants, gift shops, and an entertainment lounge.

In February 2005, representatives from the Ontario Government, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and the executive team announced a $400 million expansion project. It was completed in June 2008. It added a convention centre, a 5,000-seat entertainment centre, and a 27-story hotel tower.

Effective May 31, 2006, Casino Windsor became one of the first smoke-free commercial casinos in North America. It complied with the Smoke Free Ontario Act, banning smoking from all enclosed workplaces and public places.