Arrive and play at Casino Ajax — parking, ID, and your first walk through Alexander's Crossing
Arrive and play at Casino Ajax
One asphalt lot serves Casino Ajax and Ajax Downs at Alexander's Crossing. Machines run 24/7. The track only wakes up May–October. Getaway often turns the kitchen off while people are still on the floor.
This is the how-to: highways, parking rows, ID at the door, the Rewards desk, and what changes when Quarter Horses are running versus a dead-quiet weeknight. Street address and map pin are on the Durham Crossing guide. The game mix is on the on the floor games page.
Driving from the GTA on the 401 or taking GO to Ajax Downs
Type Casino Ajax into your maps app. If the pin drifts toward Pickering's big resort or Woodbine, fix it before you merge onto the 401.
How you arrive | What usually works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
By car from Toronto | 401 east, then local roads into the crossing | Rush-hour collectors can kill a "quick after-work" plan |
From north suburbs | 407 toll route sometimes faster | Toll charges apply |
GO Transit | Train or bus into Ajax, then walk, cab, or rideshare | Schedules change — use Metrolinx for tonight's trip |
| What usually works | 401 east, then local roads into the crossing |
|---|---|
| What to watch for | Rush-hour collectors can kill a "quick after-work" plan |
| What usually works | 407 toll route sometimes faster |
|---|---|
| What to watch for | Toll charges apply |
| What usually works | Train or bus into Ajax, then walk, cab, or rideshare |
|---|---|
| What to watch for | Schedules change — use Metrolinx for tonight's trip |
| What usually works | Short hop compared with a downtown Toronto start |
|---|---|
| What to watch for | Still check race-day lot fill on summer cards |
On packed race Saturdays some GO riders cab the last stretch when every row in the lot looks full.
Contact | |
|---|---|
Phone | 905-985-4888 · 1-866-445-3939 |
Operator | Great Canadian Entertainment (Casino Ajax) |
| Phone |
|---|
| 905-985-4888 · 1-866-445-3939 |
| Operator |
|---|
| Great Canadian Entertainment (Casino Ajax) |
Slot floor hours, live racing season, and when Getaway stops serving
Three clocks run at once. The table is the cheat sheet. The paragraphs below are the mistakes people still make.
Part of the property | Usual pattern | Confirm how |
|---|---|---|
Slots and electronic tables | 24/7 under normal operations | Door notice or call 905-985-4888 |
Live Quarter Horse racing | May–October on the Ajax Downs card | Race-day board or desk in season |
Off-Track Lounge / simulcast | When the schedule allows | Screens and signs in the lounge |
| Usual pattern | 24/7 under normal operations |
|---|---|
| Confirm how | Door notice or call 905-985-4888 |
| Usual pattern | May–October on the Ajax Downs card |
|---|---|
| Confirm how | Race-day board or desk in season |
| Usual pattern | When the schedule allows |
|---|---|
| Confirm how | Screens and signs in the lounge |
| Usual pattern | Kitchen hours move by day |
|---|---|
| Confirm how | Desk or phone — verify if dinner is the whole plan |
February is humming machines and an empty oval. A hot July Saturday is patio noise, extra cars, and a slower line for a new Rewards card. None of that means the slots stopped.
Construction or a blocked lot lane happens. Follow the signs that are actually up that night. Vague banner? Phone.
Free outdoor parking, overflow on race day, and winter walks from the lot
Free outdoor lot. No ticket booth like Pickering. Remember your row — seriously, the lot is big enough to forget.
When you arrive | Parking reality |
|---|---|
Weeknight or off-peak | Plenty of rows, short walk to the door |
Summer race card / stakes afternoon | Lot fills toward post time, overflow walks get longer |
Winter | Same asphalt layout, dress for the walk from the car |
| Weeknight or off-peak |
|---|
| Plenty of rows, short walk to the door |
| Summer race card / stakes afternoon |
|---|
| Lot fills toward post time, overflow walks get longer |
| Winter |
|---|
| Same asphalt layout, dress for the walk from the car |
Map apps love to invent valet or underground parking here. There isn't any. Closed lane? Staff wave you another way.
19+ entry, photo ID at the door, and kids at the track versus the slot hall
Ontario floor is 19+ at the door and at the desk.
Bring:
- Ontario driver's licence or Ontario photo card
- Canadian passport or other government photo ID Guest Services accepts
- The physical card in your legal name
Do not count on:
- A photo of your licence on your phone
- Photocopies or expired cards
Security may ask again near the machines after you are inside.
Bringing kids to the track in summer? Grandstand rules and the slot hall are not the same conversation. Ask track staff before you assume one ticket covers both.
More one-liners on the questions answered page.
Great Canadian Rewards card at Guest Services — and how it differs from Ajax Casino online
Free Great Canadian Rewards card at Guest Services with 19+ ID.
Floor play | Points earn |
|---|---|
Slot machines | 1 point per C$10 wagered |
Electronic table games | 1 point per C$20 wagered |
| Slot machines |
|---|
| 1 point per C$10 wagered |
| Electronic table games |
|---|
| 1 point per C$20 wagered |
Birthday offers, tiers, and promo free play — bonuses and rewards page.
Floor (Rewards card) | Ajax Casino online | |
|---|---|---|
Where you sign up | Guest Services inside | play from home page |
Login | Card at the property | Separate browser account |
Promos and earn rules | Floor programme terms | Online product terms |
| Floor (Rewards card) | Guest Services inside |
|---|---|
| Ajax Casino online | play from home page |
| Floor (Rewards card) | Card at the property |
|---|---|
| Ajax Casino online | Separate browser account |
| Floor (Rewards card) | Floor programme terms |
|---|---|
| Ajax Casino online | Online product terms |
Plastic on the floor does not open the browser product. Summer Saturday at the desk can drag. They also tell you which entrance is open and whether a promo kiosk is running.
First visit step by step — park, ID, Guest Services, then slots, rail, or Getaway
- Park in the free outdoor lot. On race day, earlier beats a long overflow walk.
- ID ready before the lineup. Fix problems at the door, not halfway to the desk.
- Guest Services if you want the Rewards card and you will come back.
- Pick your path — slots, electronic tables (no live pit), the rail May–October, or Getaway first when the kitchen is still on (Getaway and railside dining page).
- Cash and tickets on the floor. Online deposits only via play from home page. No poker room or live dealers — see on the floor games page.
Race night adds cars and chatter by the rail. You can skip the horses entirely and still spin. Post times show on the board inside.
Dress code, outdoor smoking, and responsible play on the floor
Topic | Practical note |
|---|---|
Dress | Clean casual is enough. Layer if you came off the summer patio into cold AC |
Smoking | Outside in posted areas only — not at the machine |
Limits | Decide time and money before the first bill. ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 |
| Dress |
|---|
| Clean casual is enough. Layer if you came off the summer patio into cold AC |
| Smoking |
|---|
| Outside in posted areas only — not at the machine |
| Limits |
|---|
| Decide time and money before the first bill. ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 |
Floor self-exclusion and online controls are separate. Policy detail on the rules of play page and questions answered page.
What guests say after a visit — highlights and honest complaints
Reviews on Google, Tripadvisor, and local forums are not gospel. They do rhyme after a while. Below is the pattern we see when people describe a first trip to Alexander's Crossing, not a cherry-picked five-star blurb.
What visitors often liked | What people wish was better |
|---|---|
Free outdoor parking and a straight shot off the 401 for east-end and Durham drivers | Race-day and summer card crowds — lot walk, noise, slower lines at Guest Services |
A regional floor that feels manageable compared with Pickering's resort scale | No live dealer pit — slots and electronic tables only, which surprises some first-timers |
24/7 slots when you want a late weeknight without a "resort night out" | Getaway kitchen hours — dinner plans after late play or after the last race do not always work |
| Free outdoor parking and a straight shot off the 401 for east-end and Durham drivers |
|---|
| Race-day and summer card crowds — lot walk, noise, slower lines at Guest Services |
| A regional floor that feels manageable compared with Pickering's resort scale |
|---|
| No live dealer pit — slots and electronic tables only, which surprises some first-timers |
| 24/7 slots when you want a late weeknight without a "resort night out" |
|---|
| Getaway kitchen hours — dinner plans after late play or after the last race do not always work |
| Track energy May–October — patio, grandstand, simulcast lounge on a card |
|---|
| Building and slot area read as dated to a chunk of reviewers, even when machines are current |
| Staff at the door and desk described as helpful when ID or Rewards questions come up |
|---|
| Winter parking is still a full outdoor walk — fine if you know, annoying if you dressed for the slots only |
| Simulcast and the Off-Track Lounge when live horses are not running |
|---|
| Smaller game spread than mega-casinos — high-limit exists, but choice is not Woodbine-wide |
Nobody agrees on everything. Some guests love the quieter machine hall. Others miss live tables and leave for Pickering. Read a few recent posts yourself if a single detail — smell of smoke near outdoor areas, a slow cash-out, a great night at Getaway — will make or break your plan.
Still deciding between floor and couch? Hub comparison and online signup live on the Durham Crossing guide and play from home page.