Starlight is a casino inside West Edmonton Mall, which means you can go from a rollercoaster to a blackjack table in about four minutes. No other casino in Canada has that as its front door.
It was the Palace Casino for decades. Gateway Casinos spent $57 million rebuilding it and unveiled the result on September 26, 2018 under the Starlight name. It now holds a 4.0 rating from nearly 2,400 Google reviewers.
The floor
120,000 square feet, which is the largest gaming footprint in Edmonton by a distance, carrying 768 slot machines and 32 gaming tables.
The poker room has eight tables and its own private entrance, so you can get in and out without crossing the main floor or the mall. For regulars that entrance is a bigger deal than it sounds.
VIP gaming runs through private salons for higher-limit play.
Open 24 hours, seven days a week — one of the few Alberta rooms that never closes, and the only one where the mall around it does.
The Replay Arena is the genuinely new idea
Starlight's Replay Arena is an interactive table-game space built around a massive digital wall, programmed lighting and a live DJ.
It is a deliberate attempt to make table games feel like a night out rather than a card room, and it works on a Friday in a way it does not on a Tuesday afternoon. If you find traditional pits stuffy, this is the most fun floor in the province. If you want quiet and concentration, sit elsewhere in the building.
Eating and drinking
Six options, which is more than most Alberta casinos have rooms:
- ATLAS Steak + Fish at the fine-dining end
- MATCH Eatery & Public House for pub food
- The Buffet
- Lucky Noodle Bar and Nova Bar, both steps from the gaming floor
- Halley's Club
That spread reflects the mall setting. Starlight is competing with every restaurant in West Edmonton Mall, not just with other casinos.
Getting there
8882 170 Street NW, inside West Edmonton Mall on the west side of the city. Mall parking is free and enormous, and the casino is accessible from inside the mall and by its own entrance.
The practical warning is the obvious one: on a Saturday in December the mall parkade is a battle, and the casino does nothing to insulate you from that.
How Alberta casinos work
Alberta is the only province in Canada where licensed charities conduct the casino events themselves. Non-profit groups staff events at private facilities under the model the province adopted in 2003 and take a share of the proceeds, which is why Alberta casino floors double as community fundraising infrastructure.
Worth it?
For Edmonton, yes — this is the city's best room on size, table count, food and hours together, and the poker room's private entrance and the 24-hour licence give it an edge over Century Casino Edmonton and the Pure properties.
The caveat is that it is a mall casino and it feels like one. There is no hotel, no event centre and no escaping the West Edmonton Mall crowd. If you want a resort, Grey Eagle in Calgary is what Alberta actually has and Edmonton does not.
FAQ
Where is Starlight Casino Edmonton?
Inside West Edmonton Mall, 8882 170 Street NW, with both a mall entrance and its own exterior entrance.
How many slots and tables does Starlight have?
768 slot machines and 32 gaming tables across a 120,000-square-foot floor, plus VIP private salons.
Does Starlight have poker?
Yes, an eight-table poker room with its own private entrance.
Is Starlight open 24 hours?
Yes, seven days a week.
What is the Replay Arena?
An interactive table-game space built around a large digital wall, lighting and a live DJ.
Was Starlight called something else?
Yes, it was the Palace Casino before Gateway Casinos' $57 million rebuild, which reopened as Starlight on September 26, 2018.
Comparing Edmonton rooms? See our Edmonton casinos guide and all 30 Alberta land casinos.
Updated September 2026 · Details verified against the operator's site and AGLC published information. Floor counts, hours and dining change. Confirm before you go.
