American Casino Guide

Iowa Casinos

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.

In early 1994 the Iowa legislature voted to eliminate the gambling restrictions. Additionally, gaming ma­chines were legalized at three of the state’s four pari-mutuel facilities. In mid-2004 a provision was added to allow table games at those three tracks. That same year the state also legalized casinos on moored barges that float in man-made basins of water and no longer required the casinos to be on boats. Iowa also has three Indian casinos.

Here’s information, as supplied by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, showing the electronic gaming machine payback percentages for all non-Indian locations for the one-year period from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011:

These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each riverboat casino or pari-mutuel facility for all of its electron­ic machines including: slots, video poker, video keno, etc.

Admission to all Iowa casinos is free and,  unless otherwise noted, all casinos are open 24 hours.

All Iowa 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), four card poker (FCP) 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 or visit their web site at www.traveliowa.com.

Shown below is a list of all Iowa casinos. Click on a casino name to see a page of detailed information about that particular casino.

• Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs
• Argosy Casino - Sioux City
• Casino Omaha
• Catfish Bend Casino- Burlington
• Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque
• Diamond Jo Casino Worth
• Grand Falls Casino Resort
• Harrahs Council Bluffs
• Horseshoe Casino - Council Bluffs
• Isle of Capri Casino - Bettendorf
• Isle of Capri Casino - Marquette
• Isle of Capri Casino - Waterloo
• Lady Luck Casino - Marquette
• Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel
• Mississippi Belle II
• Mystique Casino (Formerly Dubuque Greyhound Track)
• Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino
• Rhythm City Casino
• Riverside Casino & Golf Resort
• Terribles Lakeside Casino
• Wild Rose Casino & Resort - Clinton
• Wild Rose Casino & Resort - Emmetsburg
• WinnaVegas Casino

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