Of the five casinos in this guide, Elements Casino Mohawk in Campbellville publishes a $5 minimum for table games. Those $5 minimum tables open at set times on four days of the week, Thursday to Sunday.
When the $5 minimum tables open
At Elements Casino Mohawk, the $5 minimum tables open at 6 PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday they open earlier, at 2 PM. The casino publishes no closing time for them. All live tables at Mohawk run daily from 12 PM to 6 AM, so none runs past 6 AM.
Monday to Wednesday, no opening time for the $5 minimum tables is published, though live tables still run 12 PM to 6 AM. The other published limit, Level 1, starts at a $20 minimum. The operator says minimums depend on business needs and game demand for that day. Opening and closing times can change as well. Holiday hours should be checked on the venue's own site.
The other four casinos
Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel lists 'New Lower Limits' on its venue page. Blackjack there carries a $15 minimum. Let it Ride, Mississippi Stud, Four Card Poker, High Card Flush and a Texas Hold'em game carry a $10 minimum. At Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, the $15 minimum blackjack games sit on level 2, in the low limit room.
Pickering Casino Resort publishes no table minimums, so this guide shows them as not published. Casino Ajax lists no live table games. In straight lines from Elements Casino Mohawk, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto is 40.0 km away and Pickering Casino Resort 85.1 km. Casino Ajax is 90.1 km away, and Great Blue Heron Casino & Hotel 117.0 km. Minimums change, so check each casino's own page before setting out.
A $5 minimum is not a budget
A $5 minimum is the least a table accepts on a single bet. It is not the cost of an evening. Each new hand asks for the $5 minimum again, and the hands add up. The budget is a different number, decided at home before leaving, and it stays the same at the table.
Minimums also move from day to day. The operator says they depend on business needs and game demand for that day. PlaySmart, OLG's responsible-gambling site at playsmart.ca, runs a virtual PlaySmart Centre, open 7 days a week, 11 am to 7 pm, at 1-833-888-2306.
Questions
Is there a $5 minimum table in Toronto?
Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto publishes a $15 minimum for blackjack games on level 2, in the low limit room. Elements Casino Mohawk in Campbellville, 40.0 km away in a straight line, publishes a $5 minimum.
Are the $5 minimum tables at Mohawk open every day?
They open at 6 PM Thursday to Saturday and at 2 PM on Sunday. For Monday to Wednesday, no opening time for $5 minimum tables is published. No closing time is published either, and all live tables close at 6 AM.
Can the minimum change on the night?
Yes, the minimum can change. The operator says table minimums depend on business needs and game demand for that day. Some games are dealt on request, and opening and closing times can change. Treat the $5 minimum as a published starting point, not a guarantee.