Red Shores Racetrack and Casino
Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park is the main regulated gambling venue in Prince Edward Island, and it actually covers more than most visitors expect. The property is at 58 Kensington Road. Under that single roof you get a casino floor, live harness racing, and simulcast wagering on tracks from across North America.
Atlantic Lottery Corporation operates Red Shores on behalf of the province. The venue runs under the Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission Act and the related Gaming Centers Control Regulations, so it sits squarely inside the official PEI framework, not beside it.
On the gaming floor you will find over 150 slot machines. There is also a separate room for table games, kept away from the slot area, which makes it noticeably quieter - handy when you are trying to stay focused in blackjack or baccarat. Table games include blackjack, baccarat, roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and poker. The grandstand is climate-controlled as well, so watching a live harness race in February is more comfortable than it sounds.
The legal minimum age for everything on site - slot machines, table games, wagering counters - is 19. There are no exceptions around that.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | 58 Kensington Road, Charlottetown, PEI |
| Operator | Atlantic Lottery Corporation |
| Regulator | Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission |
| Minimum Age | 19+ |
| Contact | 902-620-4222 |
How Betting Works at the Venue
People sometimes overcomplicate the process in their head before they visit. Once you are inside, getting a bet down is fairly straightforward.
At the entrance, staff check your government-issued photo ID. That is the main gatekeeper step. After that, the welcome desk can point you toward the casino floor, the grandstand, or the simulcast theatre, depending on what you want to do first. Venue maps are available if you prefer to wander and figure out the layout on your own.
Slots work on a very simple flow: you put cash or a ticket voucher into the machine, choose your stake on screen, and start spinning. For table games, you go into the private table-games room, look for an open seat, and trade cash for chips directly with the dealer or floor staff at the table. Every table has its limits posted, and they can shift by time of day or day of week, so it is worth asking if limits are important for your bankroll.
Racing bets are handled either at pari-mutuel counters or self-service terminals around the grandstand. First you check the race card on the monitors or pick up a printed version, then you go to the window and say your race number, horse number, bet type and how much you want to stake. The teller prints a ticket. You hold onto that ticket, watch the race, and if it comes in you take that ticket back to a cashier or a redemption terminal before you leave. A lot of people forget that last step and end up with dead tickets in a pocket or bag.
Slot wins come out of the machine as printed vouchers. Those are cashed at the main cashier cage on the gaming floor.
Games on the Floor
| Game | Format |
|---|---|
| Slot Machines | Electronic, 150+ units |
| Blackjack | Live table |
| Baccarat | Live table |
| Roulette | Live table |
| Ultimate Texas Hold’em | Live table |
| Poker | Live table |
| Harness Racing | Live and simulcast pari-mutuel |
The table games follow usual casino rules and procedures. Because they are tucked away in a private room, the feel in there is quite different from the slot floor. On busier nights that separation is genuinely useful - the drop in background noise makes it easier to follow the game and talk to the dealer. Staff in the room can confirm minimum and maximum bets before you sit down, so you are not surprised mid-hand.
Harness Racing at Charlottetown Driving Park
Live harness racing runs in season at Charlottetown Driving Park, with simulcast cards filling in a lot of the gaps. That means you can normally find something to bet on, whether the action is on the local track or coming in from other provinces and US tracks.
A typical racing visit usually looks something like this:
- Check redshores.ca or call 902-620-4222 ahead of time. Race days and first post times move around, and a quick check can save an unnecessary trip.
- Bring your ID, show it at the main entrance, then follow the signs to the grandstand seating or simulcast theatre area.
- Grab a printed race program near the betting windows. It lists each race, the horses, drivers, post positions and morning-line odds.
- Decide what style of bet fits you that day - win, place, show, exacta, trifecta or any of the other exotics that might be listed on the card.
- Go to a pari-mutuel window or a self-serve machine, state your race number, horse numbers, bet type and dollar amount, and take your ticket.
- Watch the race from the grandstand or on-screen. Official results go up right after each finish.
- If your ticket is a winner, cash it at a teller or use a redemption terminal before heading out.
One very practical habit for racing anywhere, including Charlottetown: read through the program before you stand in line. Having your choices set in your head keeps the line moving and gives you a few extra seconds to change your mind if something feels off.
