Rama (Orillia), Ontario · gaming age 19+
Casino Rama Resort: weekend review
Last revised · facts verified
Casino Rama, on Rama First Nation land near Orillia, is mid-way through its biggest refresh in years — rooms renovated floor by floor from 2025, a ground-floor spa, and three new restaurants headed by Gateway's Atlas Steak and Fish. The 5,000-plus-seat Entertainment Centre still brings headliners up Highway 400.
Ideal for: Concert road trips out of the GTA and lake weekends with gaming on the side.
Look elsewhere if: You won't have a car — Orillia sits about two hours north of Toronto.
Why book it
Rama opened in July 1996 on Rama First Nation land outside Orillia. Operator Gateway Casinos, OLG and Rama First Nation announced a major refurbishment in November 2024: better hotel rooms, a bigger spa and gym, a refreshed casino floor, new restaurants. By May 2025 room work was moving up from level two, and a new spa was open on the ground floor.
Rooms worth asking for
289 rooms in total. Specs for the renovated rooms haven't been published, so the one question to ask at booking is simple: which floors are finished?
Saturday: dinner, then a show
Atlas Steak and Fish at St. Germain's opened in November 2025 — Gateway's top steak-and-seafood brand, here for the first time in Ontario, named in memory of the late Rama First Nation chief George St. Germain. MATCH Eatery and Public House, inside the main rotunda, followed in May 2025; Chow Lucky Noodle Bar (wok dishes, soups, bowls) came in fall 2024. Tim Hortons covers coffee.
The Entertainment Centre holds more than 5,000 — one of Canada's biggest casino stages. Late-2026 bookings announced so far: Jesse Cook, the Righteous Brothers, Colin James, the Celtic Tenors, with ticket prices in those announcements between roughly $25 and $89.
Friday night on the floor
Wikipedia lists 192,000 sq ft, around 1,800 slots and 50 tables; Gateway publishes no counts of its own, so read those as approximate. A May 2025 CTV report described a new-look floor with upgraded machines. Ontario minimum age: 19.
Sunday morning, slowly
The new ground-floor spa has saunas and steam rooms; the pool stays on the third floor; the refit includes an enlarged fitness centre.
Logistics and nearby
- Drive: about two hours north of Toronto on Highway 400.
- Couchiching Beach Park — sandy beach, gardens.
- Leacock Museum National Historic Site.
- Hardwood Ski and Bike, for winter or summer.
Our call
Ontario's concert-and-lake weekend. Wait until renovated floors reach your booking, reserve Atlas for dinner and build the trip around a headliner.
What weekenders ask us
What's being renovated at Casino Rama?
Under the plan announced in November 2024: hotel rooms, a new spa and fitness area, the casino floor and restaurants. Parts opened through 2024 and 2025.
How long does it take to drive from Toronto to Casino Rama?
Roughly two hours north via Highway 400.
How big is the stage venue at Rama?
The Entertainment Centre seats more than 5,000.
Where our facts come from
- www.gatewaycasinos.com/casinos/casino-rama-resort/
- www.worldcasinodirectory.com/casino/casino-rama-237
- www.destinationontario.com/en-ca/cities-towns/orillia-and-lake-country
- destinationontario.com/en-ca/casino-rama
- www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/casino-rama-announces-new-shows-to-wrap-up-2026/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_Rama
- www.ctvnews.ca/barrie/article/we-want-to-be-the-premier-and-casino-of-choice-casino-ramas-
- www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/05/12/104541-canada-casino-rama-unveils-major-upgr
- cdcgaming.com/brief/ontario-casino-rama-launching-signature-restaurant-thursday/
- www.songkick.com/venues/36580-casino-rama-entertainment-centre
We verified the facts on this page on October 23, 2026 against the sources listed above. Rates, fees and hours change, so confirm with the hotel before booking. Found something outdated? Let us know. See more in Casino Hotels in Ontario or the complete top 10.