If you’re one of those people who just can’t get enough of the Christmas holidays, then Kewadin Casino Christmas might just be for you.

Not only is the casino situated in the small town of Christmas, Michigan, but it has fully committed to the holiday theme with year-round festive decorations and lighting. 

And you can’t really miss it, since there’s a huge, towering Santa Claus statue right outside.

You have to respect it really. When your address reads ‘Candy Cane Lane’, there’s isn’t really much else you can do other than embrace it. So they did. 

With Christmas themed signage, lighting, decorations, and a bar named Frosty’s Pub ‘n Grub, this sounded right up my street. 

As a self-confessed Christmas-obsessive, and a casino lover, I was tripping over myself to do this review and couldn’t wait to try it out for myself.

Owned by the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Kewadin Casino Christmas is one of five Kewadin casinos in Michigan.

The other Kewadin properties are in Sault Ste.Marie, St.Ignace, Hessel and Manistique.

Kewadin Christmas opened in 1994 and is situated on Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula, just a couple of miles from the city of Munising.

For anyone wondering, Christmas took its name from the fact that in 1938 a big factory for holiday-themed products was opened here. The surrounding area subsequently took on the name of the holiday and it stuck.

As I arrived at the casino, I couldn’t help but think that the property had the resemblance of a log cabin that had been lifted straight out of the North Pole! 

With wood beams around the outside, a multi-level sloped green roof and large trees surrounding the property, is had all the hallmarks of Santa’s grotto. And I couldn’t help but smile.

Having already visited a couple of the Kewadin casinos, I was expecting the usual rustic wood, rock and brick theming that is characteristic of them all when I walked in.

That was certainly here, but felt a little softer. Maybe that was more to do with the size and layout of the Casino though. It honestly felt like I’d just walked into someone’s private and homely ski-lodge.

The welcome was just as warm too. I was instantly greeted with big smile and a friendly hello from a member of the team. 

The open-plan layout meant I could see almost everything the casino has to offer from the front entrance. The bar and grill were off to the left while the casino was straight ahead and there was a big, decorated Christmas tree off to the right.

With a casino floor just 8,500 square feet, I’d never actually been in a casino this small. And, although I accepted it was going to be limited in terms of quantity and quality of games, I’ll be honest, I was a little bit smitten by the quaintness.

With such a small casino, you would expect that games are limited at Kewadin Casino, but you’d be surprised how much variety is on offer.

There are around 245 slots available, plus live table games, which is more than I was expecting. 

It’s important to note that Kewadin Casino Christmas is not open 24-hours. It opens daily between 9am – 1am for slot games, with further reduced hours for live table games. 

The games are mostly located in one central area which is surrounded by exposed brickwork and a wooded upper wall. There’s also a piece of large tribal artwork overlooking the slots. 

I found quite a lot of old-school three-reel games in the casino, plus some modern video slots too. Denominations ranged from a penny to $5, so there was something available for all betting levels.

Walking around I saw favourites such as Wheel of Fortune, Cash Fever, Fort Knox, Lock IT Link and Cash Falls.

If you enjoy playing table games, then you can play both live table games and virtual table games at Kewadin Casino Christmas. 

Live table games are available Wednesday to Sunday from 4pm until midnight and there are three blackjack tables and one Let It Ride poker game. Bet minimums start from $10.

If you want to play outside of that then virtual blackjack and roulette Interblock games are available throughout all casino opening hours. Meanwhile, sports betting fans who want to place a bet while visiting Kewadin Casino Christmas can use the betting kiosk inside Frosty’s Bar.

Just a note - as of 2022, all Kewadin casinos allow guests 18 and over to gamble in their casinos.

The only accommodation on offer at Kewadin Casino Christmas is an RV site. Located in the parking lot, there are 12 berths offering electrical service for $20 per night.

Although there is no hotel at the casino, Kewadin Casino Christmas has teamed up with local hotel partners such as White Pine Lodge, which is located directly across the Kewadin Christmas parking lot. There’s also a list of other close-by hotels you can stay at including Alger Falls Motel, Christmas Motel and Holiday Inn Express. 

Staff

The customer service at Kewadin Casino Christmas was exceptional. Everyone made me feel really welcome from the moment I stepped in. Staff asked if I needed any assistance, others asked me about my day and my trip. 

It really felt like they were happy to have my custom and went out of their way to make sure I was having a good time. 

Food

There’s only one real food option within Kewadin Casino Christmas and that’s Frosty’s Pub ‘n Grub.

Open daily from noon, Frosty’s serves a full lunch and dinner menu offering everything from sandwiches, burgers, pizza, wings, soups and salads.

I ate here, and I have to tell you, the portion sizes are huge! I had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich which came with lattice fries, coleslaw and I added a portion of onion rings. It all came to less than $17 with a drink and it filled me up for the rest of the day.

The servers were really friendly too and spent time chatting at my table.

Entertainment

Although I couldn’t find signs of live entertainment on site, Frosty’s Bar seems to be the central hub of activity.

There’s a Happy Hour available Sunday through Thursday 5pm to 7pm with $1 off all domestic drafts, drinks specials, plus a Chilli Dog and Fries special for just $7.

There’s also a few TV’s in Frosty’s to watch sports and some bar-top video poker too. Plus, they host watch parties for big game days.

In the casino, there’s a few events to keep guests entertained.

Slot tournaments run every Monday and Tuesday with daily prize pools. There’s also specials days for players to win Kewadin credits - Tuesdays are Valor Days while Wednesdays are Senior Days. 

Every Friday night is Ladies Night. From 5pm to 7.30pm, female guests can play for a chance to win Hot Seat Draws and Prize Draws too.

Kewadin Casino Christmas also offer regular prize promotions as part of the wider Kewadin group. At the time of writing, they have a Money Bees A Buzzin promotion on with Hot Seat Draws and prize draws offering up to $500 cash.

Outside of the casino, Christmas is a fabulous place to explore. The area is known for its waterfalls, lakeside attractions, and forests, and there are plenty of trails to walk.

Bay Furnace National Park is directly opposite the casino taking you right down to the waterfront and Wagner Falls is just a ten-minute drive away.

The stunning Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is close by too offering incredible views 200ft above Lake Superior from colourful rock cliffs. You can also book a Glass Bottom Shipwreck tour of Lake Superior to view all that lurks below… 

Kewadin Casino Christmas is all on one floor so is accessible to wheelchair and reduced mobility users. It also allows service animals on site.

All Kewadin properties operate the same loyalty program which is Northern Rewards.

The program allows you to build up points every time you gamble in a Kewadin resort, which in turn allows you to climb the status tiers and claim rewards.

To sign up to Northern Rewards, just go along to a rewards desk at any Kewadin casino and don’t forget to take along government issued photographic ID. It’s a good idea to sign up to the monthly mailer when you register so you can get monthly offers and promotions sent to you directly. 

Once registered, you can build up two different types of points - Club Points and Tier Points. 

Every $4 bet in slot play and every $8 bet in video poker will earn you one Club Point and one Tier Point. Additionally, every $10 bet on table games will earn you one Tier Point.

Club Points have a monetary value and can be redeemed against hotel bills, dining, show tickets and gift shop purchases at all Kewadin resorts. 100 Club Points is equal to $1

Tier Points, meanwhile, help you climb the status tiers and increase your benefit eligibility as follows:

• Green Card (1–1,499 Tier points) – comp rooms, 5% dining and shopping discount, comp shuttle service from airport, valet service
• Silver Card (1,500–7,499 Tier points) – as above plus 10% discounts, birthday offers and 2x point multiplier days
• Gold Card (7,500–34,999 Tier points) – as above plus exclusive invitations, room upgrades, guaranteed show reservations, 15% discounts and 3x multiplier days
• Black Card (35,000+ Tier Points) – as above plus guaranteed hotel reservations, late check out, access to Executive Host, 20% discounts, 4x multiplier days

There is also an additional card which is the Valor Card and is available to all active, retired and honourably discharged military, police, fire, and EMS. This card is basically the equivalent to the Gold Card and gets you all of those benefits.

It isn’t necessary to climb the status tiers to get rewards so don’t be put off by the tier levels or spend more than you want to. Even on the lowest tier you can build up Club Points which you can use towards food, drink, shopping and gambling in Kewadin casinos, so it’s worth joining.

There are other perks to Northern Rewards membership too. Members get entry into all promotions and special events, which usually offer prizes such as cash, merchandise, Kewadin credits and meal vouchers. 

Members can also enjoy ‘Player’s Day Mondays’ in the casino where you can receive up to $30 Kewadin credits when you gamble.

From the moment I arrived I liked this casino. The surroundings were beautiful and I loved the outside aesthetics, the log-cabin style fascia, and the big Santa greeting me outside.

Inside, I got a warm welcome and it felt cosy and comfortable immediately. It just had a local friendly atmosphere, people chatting and laughing, and I (obviously) loved all the festive decorations and lights. 

Of course, I didn’t find all the slots I would normally want to play and I would always prefer a bigger casino. If slot variety is all that really matters to you then the best online casinos would be a much better choice, or countless other land-based destinations. But for the space that they had, there was plenty of variety, so I did play a few different games and the casino vibe was really relaxed.

The food and drink service came with lots of friendly chit chat. I liked the casual environment of the bar, and the food was really good too. 

Being used to more Vegas-style mega resorts I was never going to get the same wow factor from a casino such as Kewadin Christmas. But I never expected to either.

What I wanted, and what I got, was a fun few hours in a casino full of personality and I really enjoyed it.

⭐ Standout moment

Walking inside the casino for the first time was my standout moment. It felt a bit like being in a movie. Coming inside from the freezing cold, stepping into a big, impressive log-cabin full of Christmas decorations, lights and warmth. 

It just immediately hit me that this place was going to be fun. And the warm welcome I received from the staff just added to the experience.

I’ll be honest, I was properly excited about reviewing Kewadin Casino Christmas. I’d read a little bit about it, seen a few photos, and knew that I’d probably have a bit of a soft spot for it with it being so Christmassy themed.

However, there was a part of me worried it would just be a gimmick and that once the novelty had worn off, I’d leave disappointed.

Let’s be blunt, when I compare it to most casinos I’ve visited, it is lacking considerably in some areas. 

The size of the casino, the number of games, the reduced hours, the limited food and drink selection, and the lack of a hotel or any evening entertainment does mean that it is limited. 

However, if you take it for what it is, a quaint local casino offering a few hours of fun, then it actually does a really good job. 

The property itself is attractive inside and out, there is as much variety in the games as possible, the food and drink option is great, the atmosphere is fun, and the people are unbelievably welcoming and friendly. 

It all really depends on your own expectations and what you’re looking for in a casino. But, for me, it is a fine example of what a local casino can be and it is well worth a visit for its character and personality alone.

🧭 How to Get There

If you’re travelling by car, take I-75 to M-28 West at exit 386 and then follow the directions straight to Christmas.

After around two-and-a-half hours, you will find the casino directly on the roadside, and you can’t miss it as there’s a huge Santa statue outside!

Free parking is available on site for casino guests.

If you’re staying locally, a Kewadin shuttle service runs from Thursday to Sunday 4pm till midnight from local area hotels, local attractions, and city campgrounds. To arrange transport, all you have to do is call the shuttle line and request a pickup. 

You can also catch the Alger Transit Authority (ALTRAN) from the City of Munising. This service runs through the day Monday – Friday and also on Friday and Saturday nights until 2am.

If you’re flying, the closest major airport to Christmas is Sawyer International Airport (MQT / KSAW). This airport is in Marquette, Michigan and is 50 miles from the centre of Christmas.