Gaming at Stoney Nakoda Resort

Inside the casino are more than 300 slot machines. Every day of the week, they are on from 10 AM until 4 AM, Mountain Time. Slots open four hours before the tables and keep going an hour after the last table closes. With no holiday schedule posted by the resort, check with them before heading out for a late evening on the road.

Smoking is not allowed on the main casino floor. It is permitted in a separate, well-ventilated slot machine room at the back left corner of the casino. That room sits behind sliding glass doors.

Self-serve coffee, tea and water are complimentary throughout the casino. For someone who has just come in from Calgary, Cochrane or the Bow Valley, a cup costs nothing here. Other drinks are bought from servers, who take the order at the seat.

On Friday and Saturday nights, from 7 PM, the casino offers No-Limit Texas Hold'em cash games. This is separate from Ultimate Texas Hold'em Poker, the table game that runs daily alongside Roulette and Blackjack.

For details, players can speak to a Games Manager or a supervisor in the main pit. The poker line is 403-881-2832, and email goes to poker@stoneynakodaresort.com. Either route works for a question asked before the drive from Calgary or Canmore.

Winner's Edge is Alberta's province-wide casino loyalty program. At the resort, a membership is opened at the guest services desk or at the Winner's Edge kiosk. Members earn 1 point for every dollar wagered on slot machines.

Members also get 10% off one menu item over $10 per bill. The discount applies to the highest-priced item on the bill. Alcohol and daily specials are excluded.

Membership has two limits: nobody under 18 can join, and anyone enrolled in self-exclusion is barred from signing up. Members can use the GameSense My Activity and Budgeting Tools at the Winner's Edge kiosk in any Alberta casino, or in their online account. The tools include spend and time limits and alerts.

Sidelines Lounge, within the casino area, is open daily from 10 AM until 2 AM. It serves comfort food, beer and spirits, with sports on screens and VLTs in the room. From Sunday through Thursday, the last food goes out at 11 PM. On Friday and Saturday, food is served until midnight.

Like the main casino floor, the lounge is non-smoking. It stays open after food service ends, until 2 AM. For holidays, confirm the hours directly with the resort.