Iowa casinos

For those of you who haven’t spent much time in the great state of Iowa, you may not know how progressive this seemingly small state that sits in the center of our country is. Iowa was the first state in the nation to legalize river casinos in 1989. Soon after, numerous river casinos appeared along the Iowa banks of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Boat gambling was revived and flourished in Iowa.

It was around this time that Native American tribe casinos also opened in Iowa. Iowa continued to advance by allowing land-based casinos in the mid-2000s. Since then, riverboats have begun to decline as new ones are built. modern and expansive land based casinos. These land-based casinos are quite nice and provide a Vegas-like casino feel without the gaudy lights. River boats have a certain charm and are definitely worth a trip.

Iowa has twenty casinos spread throughout the state. Many still line up and down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and others located in the central part of the state. From casinos in Council Bluffs along the Missouri River, to the Des Moines area, and casinos along the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities and Dubuque, there are certainly casinos along any stretch of Iowa. Not all, but the Most of the casinos along the rivers are riverboats. There are still six river casinos in Iowa. That number will begin to decline as these casinos build new ones to replace costly riverboat maintenance.

Sioux City, Iowa will likely be the next area to build a new land-based casino and retire its riverboat. If you look at a map of Iowa, these casinos are spread out to cover the entire state without having to go too far without running into one. Most casinos offer much more than just gambling. Most casinos are adjacent to most casinos or near fine restaurants and hotels. Some offer live concert venues and most land-based casinos offer a resort-style setting with golf and spas.

Some also offer live races. Bluffs Run Greyhound Park is located at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs and the Mystique Casino Racetrack also offers greyhound racing. Prairie Meadows Casino in Altoona, just outside Des Moines, offers thoroughbred racing. I know that if you have never visited Iowa casinos, it may be hard to believe that they can offer so much. They can and do. They are much more than a stop along the way, they have become a destination. Take a look and visit them sometime. You will not be disappointed.