Lake country, Penticton to Salmon Arm

Two casinos in Kelowna

Kelowna has two casinos, 3.0 km apart in a straight line. Playtime Casino Kelowna is at 1300 Water Street, in the Grand Okanagan Lakefront Resort on Okanagan Lake, phone 250-860-9467.

Its floor opens at 10 AM, closing at 1 AM Sunday to Tuesday and 2 AM Wednesday to Saturday. The 16 live table games start at 12 PM Monday to Thursday and 11 AM Friday to Sunday. A two-table poker room deals No Limit Texas Hold'em at $1-3 and $2-5 blinds, though its pages differ on the hours. Casino guests park at no charge in the GREEN zone of the parkade. The Playtime name dates from March 1, 2018.

Chances Casino Kelowna, at 1585 Springfield Road (250-860-9577), is run by Goldwing Investments (Saskatoon) Ltd and is not a Gateway property. Doors open at 9 AM, closing at 1 AM Sunday to Wednesday and 2 AM Thursday to Saturday. Its 14 live tables, across two pits, open daily from 10:30 AM; roulette waits until 6 PM and baccarat until 6:30 PM.

Poker gets a 6-table room: Monday to Wednesday 4 PM to 1 AM, Thursday to Saturday 4 PM to 2 AM, Sunday 11 AM to 1 AM. A second-floor sportsbook lounge has a 25-foot screen and PROLINE kiosks, and the Derby Den is the off-track betting room. The casino has nearly 400 slots, and on-site parking is free, with EV charging.

Penticton by the events centre

Cascades Casino Penticton is at 201-553 Vees Dr., phone 250-487-1280. It opened on April 5, 2017, on a site beside the South Okanagan Events Centre leased from the City of Penticton. The floor runs from 10 AM to 2 AM on Friday and Saturday. Sunday to Thursday, opening is at 10 AM and closing at 12 AM. For holiday hours, confirm with the casino's own site.

Live tables keep a shorter week. Those tables operate from 4:30 PM until late, Wednesday to Saturday, and from 2 PM to 10 PM on Sunday. No table hours are published for Monday or Tuesday. The casino has more than 400 slots, 5 gaming tables, 1 poker table and 4 electronic table games. The MATCH Eatery & Public House has a rooftop patio and an outdoor bocce court.

For harness racing, see the Desert Park Raceway page: as the crow flies, the track lies 54.3 km from the casino.

Vernon and Salmon Arm

Since 2009, Lake City Casino Vernon has occupied a 30,000 sq ft building at 4900 Anderson Way, off Highway 97. It has more than 400 slots, and its own pages give two different phone numbers.

Every day begins at 10 AM. Friday and Saturday end at 2 AM; the remaining days, Sunday to Thursday, wind down at 12 AM. Monday and Tuesday see no live tables. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday they open at 5:15 PM; Friday and Saturday, at 4:15 PM. Poker is Texas Hold'em with a $100 to $500 buy-in, from 6 PM Wednesday to Saturday and 5:15 PM Sunday.

Chances Salmon Arm, a community gaming centre at 384 Trans-Canada Highway, sits 46.1 km away as the crow flies. It opened on July 20, 2015, and is run by Berezan Hospitality Group. Hours are 11 AM to 11 PM Sunday to Thursday, and to midnight Friday and Saturday. The centre operates on the land of the Adams Lake Band (Cstelnec), Secwepemc Nation, and thanks the Band for allowing it to operate there.

Bingo is played from Thursday to Sunday in two daily sessions; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the second one is closed. Sunday's drop-in starts at 12 PM; other days begin at 3 PM.

Where the names came from

Gateway bought the Lake City Casinos in Penticton, Kelowna, Kamloops and Vernon in August 2002. The Lake City name survives in Vernon. Kelowna's switched on March 1, 2018, when Lake City Casino Kelowna became Playtime Casino Kelowna.

Chances Casino Kelowna followed a different path. It opened in 2002 with bingo, added slots in 2005 and ended bingo in 2022. It began as a community gaming centre, with live tables and a poker room added since; the Province lists it among casinos.