U.S. Gambling - Casino Directory - Iowa

Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs
2200 River Road
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
(712) 328-8888
Website: www.ameristarcasinos.com

Toll-Free Number: (877) 462-7827
Rooms: 152  Price Range: $99-$169
Suites: 8  Price Range: $225-$275
Restaurants: 4 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: L-$8.99 (Mon-Fri)
   D-$14.99/$11.99 (Tue/Sun)/$15.99 (Wed)
Casino Size: 38,500 Square Feet
Other Games: S21, PGP, CSP, LIR, TCP
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: 15% off food, rooms and gift shop if 55 or older
Special Features: 2,700-passenger sidewheeler replica  on the Missouri River. Sports bar. Video arcade. Kids Quest supervised children’s entertainment center.


Argosy Casino - Sioux City
100 Larsen Park Road
Sioux City, Iowa 51101
(712) 294-5600
Website: www.argosycasinos.com

Toll-Free Number: (800) 424-0080
Restaurants: 2 (1 open 24 hours)
Casino Size: 11,693 Square Feet
Other Games: S21, PGP, CSP, LIR, TCP
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Fun Book: Given at Iowa welcome centers
Special Features: 1,200-passenger old-fashioned stern wheeler on the Missouri River. Slot club members get 10% discount at gift shop. Comedy Club.


Catfish Bend Casino
902 Riverview Drive
Fort Madison, Iowa 52627
(319) 372-2946
Website: www.catfishbendcasino.com
(180 miles S.E. of Des Moines)

Toll Free Number: (800) 372-2946
Restaurants: 2 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: L-$7  D-Varies from $11 to $13
Hours: 8am- 2am (Mon)/24 hours (Tue-Sun)
Casino Size: 14,572 Square Feet
Other Games: S21, P, CSP, LIR
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: Various on Thursday, if 50+
Special Features: 1,500-passenger paddle wheeler on the Mississippi River. Docks in Burlington from November through April. $3 lunch or dinner buffet for slot club members on Monday.


Diamond Jo Casino
3rd Street Ice Harbor
Dubuque, Iowa 52004
(319) 583-7005
Website: www.diamondjo.com

Toll-Free Number: (800) LUCKY-JO
Restaurants: 3 (Deli on boat)
Buffets: B-$5.50 (Sun)  L-$6.95/$8.50 (Sun)  D-$13.95 (Fri-Sat Only)
Valet Parking: $2
Hours: 8am-3am/24 hours (Fri/Sat)
Casino Size: 17,813 Square Feet
Other Games: CSP, LIR, TCP
Overnight RV Parking: Free (Free electric)
RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: Players club members, 55 or older, free valet parking 9am-4pm daily and free breakfast 7:30-9:30am Monday-Friday
Special Features: 1,600-passenger old-fashioned steamboat replica on the Mississippi River. Players club members get 20% buffet discount and 25% discount in gift shop.


Harrah’s Casino - Council Bluffs
One Harrah’s Boulevard
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
(712) 329-6000
Website: www.harrahs.com

Toll Free Number: (800) HARRAHS
Rooms: 240  Price Range: $59-$179
Suites: 11   Price Range $199
Restaurants: 3 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: L-$7.99/$10.99 (Sun)  D-$9.99/$10.99 (Wed) /$12.99 (Fri/Sat)
Casino Size: 28,006 Square Feet
Other Games: P, PGP, CSP, LIR, B6, S21
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Special Features: 2,365-passenger paddle wheel-replica on the Missouri River.


Isle of Capri Casino - Bettendorf
1821 State Street
Bettendorf, Iowa 52722
(563) 359-7280
Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com

Toll-Free Number: (800) 724-5825
Rooms: 220  Price Range: $60-$110
Suites: 36  Price Range $99-$185
Restaurants: 3 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: B-$5.99  L-$7.99  D-$13.99
Other Games: P, PGP, CSP, TCP, LIR
Casino Size: 28,298 Square Feet
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: Various on Tue/Thu if 50+
Special Features: 2,500-passenger old-fashioned paddle wheeler on the Mississippi River.  55-space marina.


Isle of Capri Casino - Marquette
100 Anti Monopoly Street
Marquette, Iowa 52158
(563) 873-3531
Website: www.isleofcapricasino.com
(60 miles N. of Dubuque)

Toll-Free Number: (800) 4-YOU-BET
Rooms: 22  Price Range: $85
Suites: 3  Price Range: $125
Restaurants: 2
Buffets: B-$6.49/$9.99 (Sun)  L-$7.49  D-$10.29/$12.99 (Fri/Sat)
Hours: 9am-3am/24 hours (Fri/Sat)
Other Games: CSP, LIR, TCP
Casino Size: 18,747 Square Feet
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Fun Book: Distributed by local hotels
Senior Discount: Various on Tue/Thu if 50+ 15% off buffet if 55 or older
Special Features: 1,200-passenger paddle wheeler on the Mississippi River.


Lakeside Casino Resort
777 Casino Drive
Osceola, Iowa 50213
(641) 342-9511
Website: www.lakesidecasino.net
(50 miles S. of Des Moines)

Toll-Free Number: (877) 477-5253
Rooms: 60   Price: $69-$125
Suites: 3   Prices $145
Restaurants: 2 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: B-$4.50 (Sat/Sun)  L-$6.50  D-$9.50/$11.50(Wed)
Casino Size: 25,000 Square Feet
Other Games: S21, LIR, P, TCP
Overnight RV Parking: Free (can’t put jacks down)/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: Various on Mon if 50+
Special Features: 1,500-passenger old-fashioned paddle wheeler on West Lake. 47-space RV park. Fishing/boating dock.


Mississippi Belle II
Showboat Landing
Clinton, Iowa 52733
(563) 243-9000
(83 miles E. of Cedar Rapids)

Toll-Free Number: (800) 457-9975
Restaurants: 2
Buffets: B-$8.00 (Sat-Sun) L-$8.00  
  D-$13/$11 (Tue)/$12 (Sun/Mon/Wed/Thu)
Hours: 9am-2am/4am (Fri/Sat)
Casino Size: 9,952 Square Feet
Other Games: S21, CSP, PGP, TCP, LIR
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Special Features: 1,000-passenger old-fashioned paddle wheeler on the Mississippi River.  Cruises 1pm-3pm Mon-Fri, from mid-May through mid-October.


Rhythm City Casino
130 West River Drive
Davenport, Iowa 52801
(319) 328-8000
Website: www.rhythmcitycasino.com
(80 miles S.E. of Cedar Rapids)

Toll-Free Number: (800) BOAT-711
Rooms: 98  Price Range: $59-$79
Suites: 23  Price Range: $110-195
Restaurants: 2 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: B-$3.95  L-$6.95/$10.95 (Sun)  D-$9.95/$11.95 (Fri-Sat)
Casino Size: 32,862 Square Feet
Other Games: S21, PGP, CSP, LIR
Overnight RV Parking: No
Special Features: 2,200-passenger riverboat cruises the Mississippi River.

INDIAN CASINOS

Casino Omaha
1 Blackbird Bend Boulevard
Onawa, Iowa 51040
(712) 423-3700
(30 miles S. of Sioux City, 60 miles N. of Omaha, 4 miles W. of I-29 at exit 112)

Toll-Free Number: (800) 858-U-BET
Restaurants: 1   Liquor: Yes
Buffets: B-$5.95 (Sat/Sun)  L-$4.95  D-$5.95/$9.95 (Fri)
Hours: 8am-2am/24 Hours (Fri/Sat)
Other Games: P
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Casino Size: 30,000 Square Feet
Fun Book: Coupons available at the slot club booth on some weekdays.


Meskwaki Bingo & Casino
1504 305th Street
Tama, Iowa 52339
(641) 484-2108
Website: www.meskwaki.com
(40 miles W. of Cedar Rapids)

Toll-Free Number: (800) 728-4263
Rooms: 204  Price Range: $64-$99
Suites:  4  Price Range: $185
Restaurants: 4   Liquor: No
Buffets: B-$5.25  L-$7.25   D-$8.25
Hours: 24 Hours Daily
Other Games:   S21,   P, CSP, LIR, MB, TCP, K, BG, Off-track Betting
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: $1 off buffet if 55+
Special Features: 70-space RV park


WinnaVegas Casino
1500 330th Street
Sloan, Iowa 51055
(712) 428-9466
Website: www.winnavegas-casino.com
(20 miles S. of Sioux City)

Toll-Free Number: (800) 468-9466
Restaurants: 1   Liquor: Yes
Buffets: L-$4.95  D-$6.95
Hours: 24 Hours Daily
Other Games: MB, P, CSP, LIR, BG
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: Fee
Special Features: $7 hookup for RV’s includes electric and dump.


Pari-Mutuels

Bluffs Run Casino
2701 23rd Avenue
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
(712) 323-2500
Website: www.harrahs.com
(102 miles S. of Sioux City)

Toll-Free Number: (800) BET-2-WIN
Restaurants: 4 (1 open 24 hours)
Buffets: L-$7.99/$10.99 (Sun)  D-$9.99/$10.99 (Wed) /$12.99 (Fri/Sat)
Hours: 24 Hours Daily
Casino Size: 40,272 Square Feet
Other Games: Only slots
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Special Features: Owned by Harrah’s. Live dog racing (Tue-Sun). Horse and dog race simulcasting. 120-space RV park. Free shuttle service from local hotels. Table games may be added in early 2005.


Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino
1855 Greyhound Park Drive
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
(563) 582-3647
Website: www.dgpc.com

Toll-Free Number: (800) 373-3647
Restaurants: 1
Buffets: B-$9.95 (Sun)  L-$7.95 (Wed/Sat)  D-$11.95/$13.95 (Fri-Sat)
Hours: 8am-3am/24 hours (Fri/Sat)
Casino Size: 11,675 Square Feet
Other Games: Only slots
Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: $2 off buffet, if 55 or older
Special Features: Live dog racing (Wed-Sun) during season which runs from May through October. Greyhound, harness and thoroughbred simulcasting all year. Free valet parking. Table games may be added in early 2005.


Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino
1 Prairie Meadows Drive
Altoona, Iowa 50009
(515) 967-1000
Website: www.prairiemeadows.com
(5 miles E. of Des Moines)

Toll-Free Number: (800) 325-9015
Restaurants: 1
Buffets: B-$5.50/$6.50 (Sat/Sun) 
   L-$6.50  D-$8.95 (Mon/Tue)/$12.95 (Fri-Sat)
Hours: 24 Hours Daily
Casino Size: 39,324 Square Feet
Other Games: Only slots
Overnight RV Parking: Free (can’t put jacks down)/RV Dump: No
Senior Discount: 15% off in restaurant and gift shop if 55 or older
Special Features: Live thoroughbred and quarter-horse racing  during season which runs from April through November. Simulcasting of dog and horse racing all year. Table games may be added in early 2005.

History of Gambling - Casinos in Iowa

Iowa was the first state to legalize riverboat gambling. The boats began operating on April Fools Day in 1991 and passengers were originally limited to $5 per bet with a maximum loss of $200 per person, per cruise. Because of these restrictions several boats later moved to Mississippi which offered 24-hour, no-limit, dockside gambling.

In September 1991 the first riverboats began operating in the bordering state of Illinois and these boats didn’t have Iowa’s restrictive bet or loss limits. The increased competition from these boats cut deeply into the profitability of the Iowa boats and in early 1994 the Iowa legislature voted to eliminate the gambling restrictions. Additionally, a provision was added to allow slot machines (no video poker) to be placed at the state’s four pari-mutuel facilities, subject to voter approval. The slot machine measure passed in referendums in three of the four affected counties.

In mid-2004 the Iowa Gaming Commission voted to allow table games at the state’s three pari-mutel facilities. The earliest those table games are expected to be in operation, however, is early 2005.

Admission to all Iowa riverboat casinos is free and all boats remain dockside except for the Mississippi Belle II which cruises seasonally. Unless otherwise noted, all casinos are open 24 hours.

Iowa is also home to three Indian casinos. Unless otherwise noted, all riverboats and Indian casinos offer: blackjack, roulette, craps, slots and video poker. Some casinos also offer: mini-baccarat (MB), poker (P), pai gow poker (PGP), Caribbean stud poker (CSP), let it ride (LIR), big 6 (B6), bingo (BG), keno (K), three card poker (TCP) and Spanish 21 (S21). The minimum gambling age is 21.

NOTE: If you happen to win a jackpot of $1,200 or more in Iowa, the casino will withhold 5% of your winnings for the Iowa Department of Revenue. If you want to try and get that money refunded, you will be required to file a state income tax return and, depending on the details of your return, you may get some of the money returned to you. The $1,200 threshold would also apply to any cash prizes won in casino drawings or tournaments.

For more information on visiting Iowa call the state’s tourism department at (800) 345-4692.

 

 

 

 


 

 

U.S. Casino and Gambling - Facts and Fancies

  • Some Microgaming online casino operators restrict certain US states because of very specific local laws that prohibit online gambling. The restricted states are: Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Indiana, Nevada, South Dakota, New Jersey and New York.

  • Prehistoric Southern Nevada was a virtual marsh of abundant water and vegetation. As eons passed, the marsh receded. Rivers disappeared beneath the surface. The once teeming wetlands evolved into a parched, arid landscape that supported only the hardiest of plants and animals. Water trapped underground in the complicated geologic formations of the Las Vegas Valley sporadically surfaced to nourish luxuriant plants, creating an oasis in the desert as the life- giving water flowed to the Colorado River.

  • A Casino is a physical establishment in which various games of chance are conducted. Many casinos are also resort hotels, such as those in Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. Due to gaming regulations in some states, casinos are sometimes built as riverboats on bodies of water (most of these casinos are actually stationary barges in artificial lakes that are connected to rivers). In 1998, U.S. casinos had $24.3 billion in revenue. Since the late 1980s casinos have been built on many Indian reservations. The world's largest casino is the Foxwoods Resort Casino (Ledyard, Conn.), owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Nation. Opened in 1998, the casino has 6,000 slot machines and 350 gaming tables, plus hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. Other reservation casinos include the Shakopee Mdewakanton Dakota's Mystic Lake Casino (Prior Lake, Minn.), the Mohegan Sun casino (Uncasville, Conn.), the Oneida Nation's Turning Stone (Verona, N.Y.), and the many Pueblo-run casinos in New Mexico. Revenues from Indian-run casinos represented two fifths of all U.S. casino revenues by 2004.

  • The fact is that just about every one of the fifty states in the U.S. now have legal gambling and/or legalized gambling facilities in some way, shape or form. (note how ironic it is that the current U.S. laws have made online gambling more difficult than ever) But all that aside, there are literally thousands of places in north america you can go gamble at.

    These places include casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City as well as other popular casino gambling destinations including native american - indian casinos, poker and card rooms and bingo halls.

  • Most casinos do not have clocks.

  • The Flamingo Hotel and Casino officially opened on 26 December 1946. A huge party was organized, with many of the film stars of the day in attendance. The hotel was not finished, so the guests had nowhere to sleep. They partied for two days and then went home.

  • 7 of 10 U.S. adults placed some sort of wager in the last year.

  • The online gambling industry generated $12 billion in revenue in 2005.

  • Over 20 gambling companies are listed on non-U.S. stock exchanges. The biggest poker company has a market value of almost $9 billion. The biggest sports betting company has a market value of almost $3 billion.
  • The MGM-Mirage has publicly lobbied to allow U.S. companies to take part in online gambling.

  • Gambling is entering mainstream corporate America: Liberty Media (owner of the QVC and Encore TV networks) is finalizing the purchase of Fun Technologies, which owns a majority interest in the Don Best sports information company.

  • Slot machines, though some of the most popular casino games, have always been the topic of various urban legends and stories of how they work, whether they are fair and who, in fact, controls them.

  • Slot machines though, are strictly regulated by state gambling commissions and subjected to batteries of technical tests for fairness, security, and consistency of acceptable pay out.

  • State run lotteries have flourished in the last few decades all with the veneer of supporting public education, among other ailing infrastructures. Billions of dollars are reaped in revenues annually and millions, in turn, spent on advertising the biggest lottery games with the poorest odds.

  • Add together all the numbers on a roulette wheel (1 to 36). The total is the mystical number 666, often associated with the Devil.

  • The casino game with some of the best odds, blackjack can also have terrible odds. The skillful practice of card counting and shuffle tracking is only mastered by a few experienced players.

  • The fact is that card sharks and shady dice rollers still exist. As long as there are gambling games, there will be those who think they can control the outcome to their advantage and through deceitful means. Loaded dice, a popular tool of cheats, have been a part of the gambling landscape since the era of the ancient Romans.

  • New Orleans was the first major gambling center in the USA. In 1817, taverns and coffee houses provided rooms and tables for private gambling. It legalized in 1823 and charged $5000 for a gambling license.

  • Traditional Indian games have been a part of tribal cultures for thousands of years. In the last few decades, impoverished tribes have fought to be allowed to run casinos on tribal lands as a means of generating much needed income and boosting employment opportunities in a culture whose unemployment rate is exponentially higher than anywhere else in America. Consequently, one of the biggest casinos in the world is tribal owned and operated.