Western New York Casinos

• Address: 1133 NY-414, Waterloo, NY 13165
• Year opened: 2017
• Ownership: Churchill Downs Inc.
• Games offered: Slot machines, table games, poker

Visitors to del Lago Resort & Casino can explore more than 1,700 slots, 52 live gaming tables, and a poker room with 14 tables. The poker room features Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Seven Card Stud.

The table games at del Lago include several blackjack variants, plus craps, roulette, baccarat, and poker-style games such as Caribbean Stud, Mississippi Stud, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. There is also a sportsbook with 15 betting kiosks, which are open 24/7.

This is one of just four commercial casinos in New York, along with Tioga Downs, Rivers Casino in Schenectady, and Resorts World Catskills. They were authorized in 2013, and this casino opened its doors four years later.

There are nine restaurants, including Portico by Fabio Viviani, The Sociale Café & Bar, TwinSpires Sportsbook, Knuckle Sandwiches, Zago Pizzeria, and Smash Burger, plus several bars and cafes. The 2,400-seat Vine Showroom hosts live entertainment, including concerts and stand up comedy. Famous artists regularly perform, from Daughtry to Ice Cube.

The hotel has received AAA Four Diamond designation. There are 205 rooms, and guests can also indulge at the spa.

Regular visitors can join The Rewards Club, which is divided into four tiers: Signature, Premiere, Elite, and Massimo. Perks include complimentary show tickets, exclusive dining offers, discounts at the spa, complimentary drinks, free parking, invites to special tournaments, and more.

• Address: 2384 W River Rd #1406, Nichols, NY 13812
• Year opened: 2016
• Ownership: Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc., American Racing & Entertainment
• Games offered: Slots, table games, poker

Tioga Downs Casino hosts approximately 900 slot machines, plus 29 live gaming tables, a poker room, and a FanDuel Sportsbook. The table games include blackjack, Spanish 21, craps, roulette, Pai Gow Poker, Blazing 7s blackjack, Big wheel Six, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, and Mississippi Stud.

Poker players will find six tables, covering limit and no-limit Texas Hold’em, limit and pot limit Omaha, 5 Card Stud, and 7 Card Stud.

The original Tioga Downs opened in 1976, offering Quarter Horse racing, but it closed down after just three seasons. Real estate mogul and racing enthusiast Jeffrey Gural revived the site in 2000, and it relaunched as a racino in 2006, hosting harness racing, simulcast betting, and more than 800 video lottery terminals.

Tioga Downs then received one of four commercial casino licenses in New York, and it reopened as a Las Vegas-style casino in December 2016. Alongside the gaming, guests can dine at Fin & Pho, P. J. Clarke’s, Sideshow Lounge, County Fair Buffet, Coasters Sports Bar, or the Carousel Bar.

There is also a golf course, an entertainment center, an RV park, and a hotel and spa, which includes a pool. The hotel features 160 rooms, many of which overlook the rolling hills of the Southern Tier region.

• Address: 8315 Park Rd, Batavia, NY 14020
• Year opened: 2005
• Ownership: Western OTB
• Games offered: Video gaming machines

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel is one of three racetrack casinos, known as racinos, in the western New York region. The venue can trace its roots back to 1940, when it began hosting live racing, but video lottery terminals were not added until 2005.

There are now more than 900 video gaming machines at Batavia Downs Gaming. Many are similar to slots, supplied by leading providers such as IGT and Light & Wonder, but there are approximately 30 video poker machines too.

Live harness racing takes place eight months of the year, with regular matinee, twilight, and night events. The resort also hosts concerts and other events, and dining options include Fortune’s Italian Steakhouse, Homestretch Grill, Clubhouse and Rail Bar, The Gatsby, and Club Bud Light.

If you would like to stay overnight, the hotel has 84 rooms and suites, some of which overlook the racetrack.

• Address: 5857 NY-96, Farmington, NY 14425
• Year opened: 2004
• Ownership: Delaware North
• Games offered: Video gaming machines

Finger Lakes Racetrack opened in 1962, and it was transformed into a racino via a major renovation in 2005. Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack now boasts a 44,000 sq. ft., smoke-free gaming space, which includes more than 1,100 video gaming machines. They include classics like Lock It Link, Copper Cash, and Quick Hit Platinum.

Live racing takes place on a regular basis, and the $150,000 New York Derby is the highlight of the year. Simulcast racing is also available every day except for Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, with pari-mutuel tellers and self-service wagering terminals available.

The Platinum Grille is the main on-site restaurant, but there is also a buffet. Guests can enjoy refreshments at two bars: Sevens at Finger Lakes or Remedy Bar, which features live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, the racetrack has a bar called Tin Cup and a snack bar called The Wire.

Regular visitors can join Lucky North Club, which is overseen by parent company Delaware North. Benefits include complimentary meals, bonus play on gaming machines, lounge access, valet parking, and more.

• Address: 5820 South Park Ave, Hamburg, NY 14075
• Year opened: 2010
• Ownership: Buffalo Trotting Association Inc., Delaware North
• Games offered: Video gaming machines

This racino is located within the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, which is just south of Buffalo. The Erie County Fair is held in August each year. It often attracts more than 1 million visitors, making it the fourth-largest county fair in North America.

Hamburg Gaming at the Erie County Fairgrounds is naturally popular in August, but you can visit all year round. You will find more than 900 video lottery terminals, spread across a 55,000 sq. ft. gaming floor. They include slot-style games like Wheel of Fortune, plus video poker.

Buffalo Raceway, which is part of the same complex, also offers live and simulcast racing. There is a restaurant called Indulge, plus a couple of bars too. Seasonal events also take place throughout the year, including the Festival of Lights in December, replete with Santa’s Christmas Express Train Ride.

• Address: 21 Cayuga Street, Union Springs, NY 13160
• Year opened: 2014
• Ownership: Cayuga Nation
• Games offered: Video gaming machines

Lakeside Entertainment is a small tribal casino located in Union Springs. The Cayuga Nation, which runs the venue, aims to “offer the thrills of big casino gambling in a much smaller, friendlier gaming environment,” with 86 video gaming machines from Everi available.

You can visit Lakeside Entertainment on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, or head to Lakeside Entertainment 2 on the other side of the lake. Both venues are located close to del Lago Resort & Casino, which offers a far larger selection of games.

Yes, there are currently 11 casinos in western New York. You can visit two Las Vegas-style commercial casinos, three racetrack casinos, and six tribal casinos. Three of those tribal casinos offer slots and table games, while the other three only host video gaming machines.

You can play slot machines, blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, and various other casino games in western New York. Some casinos also host poker rooms, where you can compete in tournaments and cash games, and certain resorts offer sportsbooks and bingo halls too.

Yes, casinos in western New York welcome players from Canada. You simply need to be 21 or older to play games at western New York casinos. The closest casinos to the Canadian border are Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, which both offer a wide selection of games.