The incredible Vegas vibe has moved to the Midwest. Read on to see how casinos keep it fresh through new gaming options, entertainment, dining, and more.SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Shooting Star Casino Hotel and Event Center
Mahnomen, Minnesota (approximately 4.5 hours from the Twin Cities, 35 miles north of Detroit Lakes on Highway 59)
www.starcasino.com
Big gaming options. Check. Big-name entertainment. Check. A large hotel. Check.
Excellent restaurants. Check. A spa, on-site daycare, a swimming pool, and an arcade. Check, check, check, and check. When looking for your next get-away, consider Shooting Star Casino Hotel and Event Center in Mahnomen, Minn.
Shooting Star features 1,100 slot machines, a Bingo hall, 16 Blackjack tables, the Sereniitee Spa (great for a massage or facial) and now they can add “best poker comps, best poker tournaments, most comfortable poker room, most friendly employees, most knowledgeable and helpful employees, and the most friendly dealers among casinos in Minnesota,” according to the results of Midwest Gaming & Travel’s Readers’ Choice Awards, focusing on casinos in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Shooting Star was also judged the top Minnesota casino in the category of “favorite poker room.” No other Minnesota-based casino was awarded more service and poker-related honors.
“The fact that we were voted the top Minnesota casino in as many as seven categories tells you that a casino located in a smaller market, away from the metro area, can still beat out the largest casinos in service and facility-
related areas,” says Elizabeth Foster-Anderson, Shooting Star Casino general manager.
Visit Shooting Star in August for Starstruck Drawings. There will be $500 drawings on Sunday, Aug. 2 and 16 every 15 minutes from 5 to 10 p.m. and a $1,000 semi-finalist chosen at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. A grand prize drawing will be held on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Shooting Star Casino, Hotel and Event Center is proudly owned and successfully operated by the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians.
Canterbury Park
Shakopee, Minnesota (25 minutes from downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis)
www.canterburypark.com
With so many gaming options in one convenient site–Canterbury Park in Shakopee–there is no excuse to utter the words, “I’m bored,” this summer.
Just a short drive south of the Twin Cities metro, the park is home to summer horse racing, year-round simulcast racing, and a deluxe 24-hour card club dealing a variety of poker and casino card games including
Texas Hold ‘em, Pow Gow poker, Let it Ride, Caribbean Stud, and Blackjack.
“Canterbury Park offers fun and games like no place else. Whether you’re clenching your ticket during the stretch run in racing, getting paid on a blackjack, or sweating out a flush draw in poker, we promise heart pounding excitement at a great value,” says John Groen, Canterbury Park advertising and public affairs manager.
From Buck Night every Thursday to Pepsi Family Day on Sundays, Canterbury delivers heart-pounding, live racing action now through Aug. 30.
If you haven’t played Blackjack, poker or one of the many other casino games at Canterbury Park, it’s time to check it out.
“We’re lucky to have the best pit staff and friendliest dealers around, along with the state’s widest selection of table games. Plus, all of our games are offered in a smoke-free environment,” Groen says.
If you want a unique gambling experience, play Trackside Blackjack. A pair of blackjack tables perched on the racetrack finish line allow players to double down at the same time their trifecta’s crossing the finish line.
From young families to 20-somethings to seniors (and everyone in-between), Canterbury attracts guests of all ages.
According to one Canterbury fan, “I love the sounds. I love the horses. I love the tournaments. I love the community. It doesn’t get much better than this!”
Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort
Granite Falls, Minnesota
www.prairiesedgecasino.com
Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort – Minnesota’s newest casino—is located three miles south of Granite Falls on Highway 23, about a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities metro. This exciting new casino offers over 750 video slots in addition to all the old favorites, as well as two non-smoking slot areas, and Blackjack, poker, and video roulette—all in a laidback atmosphere. While visiting the guest-rated “Friendliest and Cleanest Casino in Minnesota,” dine at the Meadows Buffet or the Firefly Bar & Grille.
A beautiful convention center provides the perfect venue for national entertainment, trade shows, meetings, and wedding receptions.
If you feel like exploring the area, there is excellent fishing in the Minnesota River (just down the hill), and a beautiful state park nearby featuring a number of trails and interesting landmark sites.
Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort offers everything you need for the ideal getaway. Stay in a luxurious hotel room or suite and relax in the indoor pool, hot tub, or sauna.
Prairie’s Edge also features the largest and newest RV Park in southwestern Minnesota, the PrairieView RV Park and Campground, featuring 55 sites. Woodall’s gave the RV park 5W/5W (the highest possible rating) with rankings given for recreational value and facilities such as roads, restrooms, and hook-ups.
