North · First Nations · 18+
Eagle River Casino in Whitecourt
This page covers Eagle River Casino & Travel Plaza at Whitecourt, one of the venues in the North section of this guide. It sets out where the casino sits, who hosts it, what is on the floor and around it, and what to have with you before setting off.
A First Nations casino at Whitecourt
Eagle River Casino & Travel Plaza stands at the corner of Highway 43 and Highway 32 North, Whitecourt, AB T7S 1N3. It is a First Nations casino on reserve land, one of six Host First Nation casinos in Alberta. The host is the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, and its designated licensed charity is the Northern Isga Foundation. The doors opened on January 31, 2008.
Its business side has a history of its own. In January 2014 the casino entered bankruptcy proceedings to restructure debt, and it kept operating throughout. At the time it was 60% owned by Alexis First Nation and 40% by Paragon Gaming. That year the AGLC gaming licence was held by the Alexis Casino Limited Partnership. On this guide's map of Alberta, it belongs to the North region.
On the floor and around it
- Slots: the floor has 250 slot machines, in denominations from 1 cent to $1. Some are province-wide progressive games, where one shared top prize builds across linked machines. All run ticket-in, ticket-out, meaning the machines accept and print paper vouchers.
- Live tables: dealers run blackjack, Three Card Poker, a Texas Hold'em table game, Spanish 21 and roulette. AGLC also lists VLTs, short for video lottery terminals, which are electronic games separate from the slots. The guide does not list a poker room or any racing.
- Food, drink and smoking: the 39,000 square foot facility holds a restaurant and a lounge alongside the casino. There is a smoking section on the casino floor.
- Event space: the Whistling Eagle Conference Room sits next to the casino floor. It takes banquets, meetings, video conferencing and casino packages, with bookings on 780-706-7475.
- Staying over: the Eagle River Tourism RV Park is open 365 days a year, with 30/50 amp power, water and sewer hook-ups, showers and coin laundry. An Eagle River Hotel is announced as coming soon, but no hotel is open yet.
- Loyalty cards: the casino's own Talon Player's Card earns points for play, dining and admission swipes, plus Eagle Bucks. It works alongside Winner's Edge, AGLC's province-wide loyalty program, and sign-up happens at Guest Services.
Before you set off
Entry is for adults only. The legal gambling age in Alberta is 18, and staff must check valid government-issued photo ID for anyone who appears to be under 25.
The opening hours the venue publishes are in the "Plan your visit" table beside the map. Holiday hours can differ, so check the venue's own page or call the casino's main line at 780-779-2727 before setting out. The AGLC directory at aglc.ca/gaming/casinos/find-casino-rec carries addresses, phones and games.
Asked about this page
Questions
Who hosts Eagle River Casino & Travel Plaza?
The host First Nation is the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, and the casino sits on reserve land. Its designated licensed charity is the Northern Isga Foundation. At the time of its January 2014 bankruptcy proceedings, it was 60% owned by Alexis First Nation and 40% by Paragon Gaming.
Does Eagle River have live table games or a poker room?
Yes, there are live tables: blackjack, Three Card Poker, a Texas Hold'em table game, Spanish 21 and roulette. This guide does not list a separate poker room.
Is there a hotel at Eagle River?
No hotel is open yet. An Eagle River Hotel is announced as coming soon, but none is open. The Eagle River Tourism RV Park, open 365 days a year, is the place to stay on site for now.