Computer-made picture, not a photo
Lake Day, Port Perry Casino Online
Port Perry and Scugog Island
Port Perry, the heritage centre of the Township of Scugog, sits on the shores of Lake Scugog. The casino is one stop, on Scugog Island 9.7 km away in a straight line; scroll for the day or slide the hour to see what is open.
The day
Queen Street Downtown
Downtown Port Perry is the township's heritage centre, set on the shores of Lake Scugog. The downtown has a Heritage Conservation District. Along Queen Street, heritage plaques explain the history of the commercial buildings.
The day
The Waterfront
The waterfront lines the town's eastern edge: the Library, the Marina and the Port Perry Grain Elevator, called the Old Mill. Palmer Park sits at 175 Water Street. From Highway 7A to Scugog Line 8, the 5 km Port Perry Waterfront Trail keeps Lake Scugog in view.
WaterfrontScugog Island
In 1997, the casino on Scugog Island opened its doors, built by Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. They describe themselves as part of the larger Anishinaabeg people, the original people, and speak Anishinaabemowin. The MSIFN Powwow is held every year on the third weekend of July.
The islandGreat Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel is open 24/7, with 20 live table games and a 116-room hotel. Its event venue, The Nest, holds close to 800 people. The Water's Edge Restaurant and Quickbites are open to all ages.
The casino
What's open
Pick a day and an hour to see which stops are open, based on published hours.
Open 24/7
Open 24/7
Fri and Sat 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM; Sun 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Fri and Sat 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM; Sun 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM
- 26.3 km
Open 24/7
Open 24/7
- 30.3 km
Open 24/7 (slots and hotel)
Open 24/7 (slots and hotel)
Daily 10:00 am to midnight
Daily 10:00 am to midnight
Mon to Thu 4 PM to midnight; Fri and Sat noon to 2 AM; Sun noon to midnight
Mon to Thu 4 PM to midnight; Fri and Sat noon to 2 AM; Sun noon to midnight
Holiday hours should be checked with each venue before setting out.
The casino
Owned by the First Nation
In 1997, Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation opened the doors of the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino. It is named after the birds in whose migratory path it was built. The First Nation calls the casino the heart of economic activity in its community. Since 2016, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has managed and conducted the casino, and Great Canadian Entertainment operates it. Ownership stays with the First Nation, which does not operate it.
Its address is 21777 Island Road, Port Perry, ON L9L 1B6, 9.7 km from central Port Perry in a straight line. Phone 905-985-4888 or 1-888-29-HERON. Doors stay open 24/7, though anyone visiting on a holiday should confirm the hours with the venue itself.
On the floor are 20 live table games, including blackjack, roulette and squeeze baccarat; $15 blackjack and $10 Let it Ride are among the lower limits. The 116-room hotel has King Accessible rooms with roll-in showers, and its line is 905-743-5860. The Nest, the event venue, opened on January 18, 2024 and holds close to 800 people. The Water's Edge Restaurant and Quickbites are open to all ages. The Buffet runs Friday and Saturday 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM and Sunday 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Parking is free and on site. Getting into the casino takes being 19+, a valid, original photo ID from a government, and a secondary photo ID as well. The operator's code of conduct says: We ID under 30. The loyalty card is Great Canadian Rewards.
Without a Car
Port Perry is 61.3 km from Toronto City Hall in a straight line. Durham Region Transit route 905C serves the town, toward Uxbridge and toward Oshawa and Whitby Station. Route 618 runs weekday daytime service between Port Perry, Sunderland, Cannington and Beaverton. No scheduled bus route reaches Scugog Island.
DRT On Demand operates in the rural areas of Durham Region, 6:00 to 24:00 on weekdays and 7:00 to 21:00 on weekends. Whether it covers a specific address, the casino included, should be confirmed with DRT. For drivers, parking at Great Blue Heron is free and on site.
Driving On
To the south, Casino Ajax sits 26.3 km from central Port Perry in a straight line, and Pickering Casino Resort 30.3 km. Both are open 24/7. Casino Ajax has 500 slots and no live tables. Pickering Casino Resort has 2,200+ slots, 90+ live table games and a hotel.
Eastward, Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs in Fraserville is 45.8 km away, at 1382 County Road 28. It has 150 slots, open daily 10:00 am to midnight.
Shorelines Casino Peterborough, 51.1 km out at 3800 Fisher Drive, has over 500 slots and e-tables and 12 live table games. Live tables run Monday to Thursday 4 PM to midnight, Friday and Saturday noon to 2 AM, and Sunday noon to midnight. Around holidays, check opening times directly on each venue's own site.
Straight line · approximate
Photos: Alan Spencer, CC BY 2.0 (Casino Ajax); Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0 (Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto); Alan Spencer, CC BY 2.0 (Elements Casino Mohawk), via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
Online Play in Ontario
On April 4, 2022, Ontario first opened its regulated market for online gambling. iGaming Ontario conducts and manages it, while the AGCO, Ontario's Alcohol and Gaming Commission, regulates it.
At igamingontario.ca, iGaming Ontario keeps the public roster of online gambling sites that are regulated. A site absent from the roster does not belong to Ontario's regulated market. OLG.ca is the website of the provincial agency called the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Casino and online gambling in Ontario are legal from age 19.
This guide carries paid links, marked Ad, to an online casino partner, and earns a commission from them. The partner can change. Before opening an account anywhere, check the site against the iGaming Ontario list.
Help With Gambling
For free, confidential help at any hour, ConnexOntario takes calls at 1-866-531-2600, texts to 247247 (send CONNEX) and chats at connexontario.ca.
Ontario casino self-exclusion via OLG's My PlayBreak: 3 or 6 months or 1 through 5 years, by 1-800-387-0098, on-site staff or a PlaySmart Centre.
Self-exclusion via BetGuard (betguard.ca) spans every regulated Ontario gambling site, OLG.ca too, for 1 year, 5 years, 6 months or a custom term, never land-based casinos.
FAQ
Is Great Blue Heron open all night?
The casino is open 24/7, so it does not close overnight. Holiday schedules are best confirmed on the venue's own website.
Can children eat at the restaurants?
The Water's Edge Restaurant and Quickbites are open to all ages. Guests 19+ get into the casino with a valid, original photo ID from a government and a secondary photo ID as well.
Is there a bus to the casino?
No scheduled bus route reaches Scugog Island, though DRT routes 905C and 618 serve Port Perry. DRT On Demand operates in rural Durham Region, 6:00 to 24:00 on weekdays and 7:00 to 21:00 on weekends. Whether it covers the casino address should be confirmed with DRT.
Who owns Great Blue Heron?
Ownership lies with Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, which does not run the casino itself. Since 2016, OLG has managed and conducted the casino, and Great Canadian Entertainment operates it.
Is there horse racing nearby?
Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs in Fraserville, 45.8 km from central Port Perry in a straight line, has harness racing. Closer, Casino Ajax sits at Ajax Downs, 26.3 km away, where quarter horses race.