Hotels first, with a gaming floor as one feature

Île Notre-Dame was built for Expo 67, and the casino occupies the pavilions left behind — an angular, glass-heavy set of buildings on the river, surrounded by park and the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Few casino properties anywhere have a stranger or better-looking inheritance.

Stay here and the gaming floor is one part of a larger site. Restaurants range from casual to formal, there is a cabaret room for live shows, and the parkland of Parc Jean-Drapeau wraps around everything. Downtown Montreal and Old Montreal are a short drive or metro ride across the water. Gaming is limited to adults.

Position is the whole argument. The resort stands on the escarpment directly above the Horseshoe Falls, and a large share of its rooms and public spaces look straight down at them. The Grand Hotel tower holds the accommodation.

Below the rooms sit a theatre that books touring names, a spa, a shopping promenade and a long list of restaurants. The casino floor is one component among those. Clifton Hill, the Niagara Parkway and the wine country of Niagara-on-the-Lake are all within easy reach. Gaming areas are restricted to adults.

Richmond puts this resort between Vancouver's airport and the Fraser River, with its own marina on the water and the Canada Line running into downtown Vancouver in around twenty minutes. Travellers use it as a first or last night as often as a destination.

Guest rooms occupy a hotel tower with river and mountain outlooks. A show theatre handles concerts and events, and the dining spread covers buffet, Asian kitchens and steak. The gaming floor is one feature of the property. Steveston's fishing village and Richmond's night market are nearby. Gaming is for adults only.

Cottage country, not a city. The resort sits on the lands of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation near Orillia, about ninety minutes north of Toronto, in the lake district around Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe.

First Nations art and design appear through the public areas, and the property has operated as a First Nations enterprise since it opened in the 1990s. An entertainment centre brings in touring musicians and comedians; restaurants, a spa and a hotel tower complete the site. The casino is one part of what the resort runs. Gaming is limited to adults.