Minnesota Casinos

Minnesota operates one of the largest tribal gaming industries in the United States. Eleven federally recognized tribes run 18 casino properties scattered across the state, from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro corridor south to Morton and north to the Canadian border at Grand Portage. The combined gaming landscape spans everything from compact slot machines and bingo venues in rural communities to full-scale resort complexes with hotels, golf courses, spas, and live entertainment. Unlike neighboring Wisconsin, Minnesota has no commercial casinos.

Two non-tribal venues fill out the map: Canterbury Park in Shakopee and Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, both licensed as pari-mutuel racetracks that also operate card clubs under a separate Minnesota statute. Neither offers slot machines. Both run live poker rooms and table games built around active horse racing programs.

Minnesota does not permit commercial casino gaming under state law. There is no state authorization for commercial slots outside tribal land, and as of 2026, sports betting legislation has not passed. The tribal system is the casino industry in Minnesota, and the two racinos are the only non-tribal alternatives.

Notable Minnesota Casino Properties

Minnesota’s tribal casino landscape covers the full range from metro resort to remote community venue. The properties below represent the most complete destination experiences in the state.

Top Minnesota destination casinos

M

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel

Prior Lake

24/7 · Bingo

T

Treasure Island Resort and Casino

Red Wing

24/7 · Hotel

G

Grand Casino Hinckley

Hinckley

24/7 · Bingo

G

Grand Casino Mille Lacs

Onamia

24/7 · Poker Room

B

Black Bear Casino Resort

Carlton

24/7 · Bingo

F

Fortune Bay Resort Casino

Tower

24/7 · Hotel

Treasure Island Resort and Casino (Red Wing area) is one of the state’s most amenity-complete tribal resorts, offering valet parking, RV parking, an active poker room, and a game menu that includes 3-card poker, crazy-4 poker, EZ baccarat, bingo, and pull-tabs. The property explicitly offers smoke-free gaming sections, which is uncommon among Minnesota tribal casinos.

Grand Casino Hinckley (Hinckley) sits directly off I-35 about 75 miles north of the Twin Cities, making it one of the most drive-by-accessible tribal casinos in the state. The property includes a golf course, spa, salon, pool, and RV parking alongside bingo, poker, blackjack, and electronic bingo. For travelers on the corridor between the Twin Cities and Duluth, Hinckley is a natural stop.

Grand Casino Mille Lacs (Onamia) sits on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs about 90 miles north of the Twin Cities. The property offers a live poker room running Texas hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, and seven-card stud alongside its main gaming floor, pool, and shops. The lake setting makes it a different kind of trip than metro-area properties.

Black Bear Casino Resort (Carlton) is located near the junction of I-35 and MN-210 about 15 miles southwest of Duluth. A practical overnight stop for travelers between the Twin Cities and the North Shore, with a full hotel, restaurant, valet parking, bingo, and blackjack.

Fortune Bay Resort Casino (Tower) operates on the Bois Forte Band’s reservation on the shore of Lake Vermilion in the Iron Range, roughly 150 miles north of Duluth. Golf, pool, sauna, marina, RV parking, a live poker room, and a game menu that includes Let It Ride, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Trilux, and slots make it one of the most complete resort properties in Greater Minnesota.

Games at Minnesota Casinos

Most of Minnesota’s major tribal casinos operate under Class III gaming compacts negotiated with the state, enabling full slot machines, blackjack, poker, and specialty table games. Class III authority is what separates the larger Minnesota tribal venues from more limited Class II-only operations found in states without tribal-state compacts. Some smaller or more remote properties operate primarily under Class II rules, offering bingo and bingo-based electronic machines.

Poker Rooms and Racinos

Minnesota has two distinct poker ecosystems: tribal poker rooms operating under federal gaming authority, and state-licensed card clubs at Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park. The two racinos are unusual nationally for combining active live racing programs with full-service licensed poker rooms under a separate Minnesota statute.

Canterbury Park (Shakopee) is a thoroughbred racetrack with one of the largest poker rooms in Minnesota. The card club offers no-limit Texas hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, pot-limit Omaha, 7-card stud, and a regular tournament schedule. Licensed under the Minnesota Card Club Act and regulated by the Minnesota Racing Commission, Canterbury is not tribal gaming. The venue runs seasonal live thoroughbred racing and year-round simulcast wagering.

Running Aces Harness Park (Columbus) is the state’s other major licensed card club. Built around harness racing with an active live-season schedule, the poker room runs no-limit hold’em, Omaha, pot-limit Omaha, stud, and sit-and-go formats. Running Aces also operates electronic table games including electronic baccarat, electronic blackjack variants, and EZ baccarat, which function as the floor’s slot-adjacent product without requiring slot-machine licensing.

Poker rooms and racinos

C

Canterbury Park

Shakopee

24/7 · Poker Room

R

Running Aces Harness Park

Columbus Minnesota

24/7 · Poker Room

N

Northern Lights Casino

Walker

Poker Room

S

Shooting Star Casino

Mahnomen

24/7 · Poker Room

For tribal poker, the strongest rooms in the state are at Grand Casino Mille Lacs (Texas hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, seven-card stud), Treasure Island (no-limit and spread-limit hold’em), Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen (Texas hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, 7-card stud), and Northern Lights Casino in Walker (no-limit hold’em, Omaha hi).

Editor’s Perspectives by Visitor Profile

★ Editor-in-Chief · Minnesota Casino Perspectives

Best Minnesota Casinos, By Visitor Profile

Minnesota's casino landscape is genuinely varied: Twin Cities resort, Iron Range getaway, Canadian border destination, harness racing card club, and rural community venue. Here's which property fits each kind of trip.

Rachel Mendoza

Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

🏙️ For Twin Cities Visitors in Minnesota

Best for visitors based in Minneapolis or Saint Paul

Mystic Lake is the obvious Twin Cities answer, and it earns the position.

"If you're starting from Minneapolis or Saint Paul, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake is 25 miles and roughly 35 minutes south on US-169. Nothing else in the state comes close for metro proximity, gaming-floor scale, or breadth of amenities. The Club M program covers hotel, dining, and gaming. The golf course, spa, and pool make it a viable trip for non-gamblers in a group. Little Six Casino, also in Prior Lake on the same Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux land, operates two miles away as a smaller, quieter alternative if the main property feels too large. Both are 24/7 and both accept guests 18 and older."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

♠️ For Poker Players in Minnesota

Best Minnesota casino for live poker

Canterbury Park runs the deepest poker room in the state, with daily action year-round.

"For dedicated poker players, Canterbury Park in Shakopee offers the most consistent live-game selection in Minnesota: no-limit hold'em, pot-limit Omaha, Omaha hi-lo, 7-card stud, and a year-round tournament schedule. Running Aces in Columbus is the second option, with a similar game range and a harness-racing atmosphere. If you specifically want tribal poker, Grand Casino Mille Lacs (Texas hold'em, Omaha, stud) and Treasure Island (no-limit and spread-limit hold'em) are the strongest tribal rooms in the state. Shooting Star in Mahnomen runs a consistent room for players willing to make the western Minnesota drive."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

🏨 For Resort Stays in Minnesota

Best Minnesota casino for overnight and weekend stays

Fortune Bay on Lake Vermilion is the most complete resort getaway in Greater Minnesota.

"If you want a casino trip that functions as a genuine getaway, Fortune Bay Resort Casino on Lake Vermilion in Tower is the answer outside the metro corridor. The Iron Range lake setting is dramatic. The property includes a full hotel, golf course, pool, sauna, spa, marina, and RV parking alongside a gaming floor with Let It Ride, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, and a poker room. It's about 3 hours from Duluth and 4.5 from the Twin Cities, which makes it a natural Friday-to-Sunday trip. Mystic Lake remains the best overnight option for those who want metro convenience. Treasure Island, about 50 miles southeast of Saint Paul, is a solid middle ground between city proximity and resort scale."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

🚗 For Day-Trips from the Cities in Minnesota

Best Minnesota casino for a same-day round trip

Grand Casino Hinckley sits directly on I-35 and is the easiest day-trip from the Twin Cities.

"Grand Casino Hinckley is 75 miles north of the Twin Cities on I-35, under 90 minutes each way on a clear day. Golf, spa, bingo, poker, and blackjack on a single property, with free self-parking and 24-hour access. For a drive in the other direction, Treasure Island in the Red Wing area (about 50 miles southeast of Saint Paul) offers resort scale within easy same-day reach. Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia (90 miles north) is the lake-setting alternative if you want to add a walk along the Mille Lacs shoreline. All three are practical day-trip options from the metro on a weekend."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

🛡️ For Responsible Play in Minnesota

All Minnesota casinos — responsible gambling resources

Every tribal property and both racinos in Minnesota offer voluntary self-exclusion and responsible gambling tools.

"Minnesota tribal casinos operate under the oversight of their respective tribal gaming commissions and the National Indian Gaming Commission. Canterbury Park and Running Aces are regulated by the Minnesota Racing Commission and the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. All properties are required to post problem gambling resources and offer voluntary self-exclusion. The Minnesota Gambling Control Board maintains a statewide self-exclusion list; tribal properties maintain their own lists under compact terms. For confidential support, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), available 24 hours a day. Set a budget before you arrive and treat the session as a fixed entertainment cost, not an investment."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

🌱 For First-Time Visitors in Minnesota

Best Minnesota casino for a first casino visit

Mystic Lake's scale and service level make it the most approachable starting point in the state.

"For a first casino visit, Mystic Lake covers every base: easy access off US-169, a clearly organized gaming floor with both slots and table games, on-site dining, a hotel if you want to stay over, and player-services staff who regularly handle first-timers. The Club M program is straightforward to enroll in and provides return on play from the first session. If Mystic Lake's scale is intimidating, Little Six Casino on the same Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux land operates two miles away with a smaller and quieter floor. Either way, bring a government-issued photo ID. Every Minnesota casino checks ID regardless of apparent age."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor-in-Chief · Land-Based Gaming

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Minnesota Gambling Law and Regulation

Minnesota’s tribal casinos operate under individual tribal-state gaming compacts negotiated between the state and each of the 11 federally recognized tribes. These compacts were established following the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 and have been updated periodically to reflect expanded game types. The NIGC and individual tribal gaming commissions oversee compliance and audit requirements.

The two card clubs, Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park, are authorized under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 240, which permits pari-mutuel racetrack licensees to offer a specific list of table games. Slot machines are explicitly excluded from the list of authorized games at licensed card clubs.

Sports betting legislation has been introduced in the Minnesota Legislature in multiple recent sessions. Tribal operators and horse racing interests have had differing positions on how a sports betting framework should be structured, and no bill has reached the governor’s desk as of 2026.

Quick Visitor Reference

• Closest casino to Minneapolis: Mystic Lake Casino Hotel (Prior Lake, ~25 miles southwest)
• Closest casino to Saint Paul: Little Six Casino or Mystic Lake (~25 miles southwest), or Treasure Island (~50 miles southeast)
• Closest casino to Duluth: Fond-Du-Luth Casino (downtown Duluth) or Black Bear Casino Resort (Carlton, ~15 miles southwest on I-35)
• Most remote property: Grand Portage Lodge and Casino (Grand Portage, at the Canadian border)
• Best poker rooms (tribal): Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Treasure Island, Shooting Star Casino, Northern Lights Casino
• Best poker rooms (non-tribal): Canterbury Park, Running Aces Harness Park
• Smoke-free gaming: Treasure Island Resort and Casino offers smoke-free sections
• Minimum age: 18+ at most properties; verify with the specific venue before traveling
• Hotel reservations: Mystic Lake, Treasure Island, Fortune Bay, and Grand Casino Hinckley book out on weekends; reserve in advance
• All Minnesota tribal casinos: on tribal land; federal and tribal rules apply, not Minnesota state law