Iowa Riverboat Gambling History
| Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs | |
|---|---|
| Location | Council Bluffs, IA |
| Address | 2200 River Rd |
| Opening date | January 1996 |
| No. of rooms | 160 |
| Total gaming space | 38,500 sq ft (3,580 m2) |
| Casino type | Riverboat |
| Owner | Gaming and Leisure Properties |
| Operating license holder | Penn National Gaming |
| Coordinates | 41°14′35″N95°54′36″W / 41.24306°N 95.91000°W |
| Website | CouncilBluffs.Ameristar.com |
- Due to competitive pressures from other states, and the restrictions placed on Iowa riverboat casinos, legislation was enacted in March of 1994 to put the Iowa casinos on a level playing field with casinos from neighboring states. These changes were as follows: o Removing the $200/cruise loss limit and the maximum $5/hand wager.
- Modern riverboat casinos were first legalized in 1989 in Iowa, then Illinois followed closely by Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The type of gaming allowed on riverboat casinos varies by jurisdiction. Generally, the states allow the playing of traditional casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and slots.
Forget about riverboats, online gaming is the new frontier when it comes to gambling in Iowa. Ben Kieffer discusses the future of gambling in Iowa and how. The Kehls` is the third Iowa gambling boat to weigh anchor and move to less competitive waters in only the second year of riverboat gambling in the state. The first two casino boats left in August.
Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs is a riverboat casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the Missouri River directly across from Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn National Gaming.
The property includes 38,500 sq. ft. of gaming space with more than 1,500 slot machines and table games, a 160-room hotel tower, and several restaurants.
History[edit]
Ameristar Council Bluffs opened for business in January 1996. The plans called for a resort that complemented the local history, thus, the design is reminiscent of an 1800s river town. The riverboat itself is a 272 foot long and 98 foot wide vessel. Due to legal requirements at the time, the riverboat had to make 2-hour cruises down the river during excursion season, which had been April 1 to October 31.[1]
The property had been owned by Ameristar Casinos, Inc. until the company was acquired by Pinnacle Entertainment in 2013. However, Pinnacle was acquired by Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming in 2018.
It is the only casino in Council Bluffs out of the three that is still on a riverboat. Harrah's scrapped theirs and moved the casino onto land in the same general location in 2013 after a 2007 Iowa law allowed for land-based casinos.[2]
References[edit]
Riverboat Gambling In Iowa
- ^'Ameristar Casinos Inc Encyclopedia.com'. www.encyclopedia.com.
- ^Nelson, Andrew J. 'Harrah's: Scrapping Bluffs gambling boat, moving ashore will be better for customers'. Omaha.com.