Places like Rivers,Meadows & Presque aren't casinos. All they are is generic Gaming Parlors.. No comp. Tight slots, nothing to look forward to but ripped off..

This casino is a mess,how can you be extremely tight as hell on penny machines. Stick with real and classy casinos like Vegas & Atlantic City.

This place is one big joke ,Pennsylvania casino's as a whole are one big cash cow.How and the hell can a person get free spin and not win a dam thing??? Gaming board and casino should be revamped or closed. One big freakin mess . Stick with atlantic city and vegas for true entertainment. Not these hole in the wall wanna b's

I am a young gambler from Erie, where I have been to the Presque Downs and Casino several times. Now, I don't have much to compare to here, but my experience at Rivers was TERRIBLE.

From the second my girlfriend and I walked in, the staff was rude to us. The security guard got mad at my girlfriend because, as a foreigner, she was using her passport as identification. They almost didn't let her in. At one point, I stepped out to use the ATM and the security guard snapped at me when I asked if she needed to see my ID once again - She had watched me walk out!

As far as the atmosphere goes, the whole place has a uniquely bad odor to it. As someone said before, it smells like cheap cigarettes, bad perfume, body odor, and broken dreams. The free beverages offered taste terrible, the ice machines don't work, and the selection is poor (no ginger ale?).

The worst part, and the reason I will not be returning, is that the slots are so tight. The most I ever got up was $10. Most of the bonuses I was lucky enough to hit yielded about $6.00 - not even worth the electricity used by the obnoxious overly loud machines. I left after a few hours down $35, and after reading these reviews, it sounds like I was one of the lucky ones... I agree, go elsewhere. I would recommend Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie, or anywhere really, over Rivers Casino.

I had high hopes for this place when it opened up but in all honestly it's been a big disappointment. When you have questions, you get a ton of different answers and their incompetence has even caused me to lose out on more than $100 in free play. Too bad, this could have been so much better.

I personally think the rivers is ok. I have been going at least once a month for the past year and sometimes 3 times a month. I usually take between 500-1000 dollars and play slots. I have hit several big jackpots 2 over $6000 and at least 6 big wins under $1000. Yes I leave a loser more than I win but what I have won is more than I have lost. My question is for those that have a players card. I don't always use mine. What is the most amount of weekly (not bonus) slot play you have had or know of someone having. I am trying to decide if it's better to always use my card.

I smoke at the casino because i don't smoke in my house....but this place really smells like smoke! You can smell it as soon as you open the door to the elevator lobby off of the parking garages--six or seven floors above the actual casino. Coming from a smoker, I can only say that I can only imagine what nonsmokers think!

However, my really big problem with the place, and the reason that I have decided not to go there anymore, is that there are a lot of regulars (please read on, I am not opposed to regulars in general, because I happened to have be one of them). The regulars that I refer to are groups of regulars that are like slot stalkers and another group of regulars that are moochers. I would like to think that they are not an officially organized group, but they are groups, and I have started to notice them (after a year of being in a slot coma when I am in there:)

The slot stalkers sit around and watch particular popular machines that are heavily played. They seem to know a good deal about these machines and the payout rates, and count the amount of money going in. They don't play much while they are sitting at a nearby machine watching. They hit spin, and then take a drink, look at their phone, fidget around and then hit spin again five or more minutes later, so officially they are legally sitting at a machine. As soon as a loser gets up from a heavily played machine, they jump onto it and play until it hits (which, by the way is usually pretty quickly after they get on). Now, I suppose that one can say that there is nothing to be done about such behavior, and I suppose that this is part of gambling....losing to others, but it seems a bit unfair that these groups seem to be there all the time, work together, and seem to know when other non-stalker regulars are likely to come in (and put money into favorite machines.) Once that I noticed that this was happening, I actually sat aside myself and watched more carefully a couple of times and there was no doubt that they were doing this. It felt very creepy and predatory, and that is not the feeling that I want to get when I go to the casino to relax.

Other regulars are cigarette moochers, money moochers, people asking for rides, and dollars, and others trying to sell things (like a lighter?? [really?] to get money. This casino is in a very urban location, and easy to get to. There is a lot of security here, a lot of cameras too. The staff is really nice, and the machines seem to be well monitored by them, so I am not sure why this is going unnoticed. I was kind of excited to have a casino relatively nearby, and when first opened, it was really nice to go there, and look around, play slots, have a drink, maybe eat. But now that I have noticed this weird thing, I just get really, really creeped out by this kind of predatory-like behavior, so I'm not going there anymore. I would say that if you are coming from out of town, be careful if you go there and stay aware. Again, you will be safe there because there is a lot of security, but be aware of what I would call the underlying culture of the place -- and there is a lot of it. Sorry Rivers. I thought that you were great! But it is not fun there anymore because of this. I am going to try other, not so close to the city, casinos. I just like to have fun and relax, but this weird behavior just doesn't work to that end.

I like playing slots because I really stink at cards. But it seems Rivers is squeezing out the low-end slots. They keep adding card tables, half of which are rarely used, and they are expanding the high limit slot area, reducing the number of 1, 2 or 5 cent machines. And talk about tight machines! Played this week, and got the 15 spin free bonus. And what did I end up with as winnings for my 15 spins? 60 cents! C'mon Rivers! But the Players Club is good, and I love the food served, Although the server girls had their outfits changed from skirts to goofy '60's hot pants! Ugh!

Their comps are a joke! Spend $500 a month there and your comps are reduced. Try to buy a drink -- well if you aren't a high roller, the bartenders won't even look your way. The staff is miserable and seem to be bothered by your existence. The Buffet -- food not bad but don't ask if they have something that is not filled .. they ignore you and throw something in the bowl. I am not sure who they think voted them the best casino .. they may be the worst I have ever been to.

Tight slots and horrible wait staff, but the tables are awesome, dealers have never ever disappointed, all the staff is perfect. Beautiful place, too. The people that complain just are unlucky or don't know how to gamble or just are those people that bitch about everything.

I have to disagree with all of you this is the best casino!!!! I absolutely love it!!! I give them a 10 in my book I've won way more then I lost!!!!!!!So props too the rivers;)

I gave my money to Las Vegas & to Atlantic City since 1978. I think it was stupid to build the Casino so close to the Sport Stadiums, but this is PA and gamblers should be happy to be able to gamble let alone park. I'm from Central Pa & we are not
allowed to have a Casino cause the local law makers think it corrupts the locals. So for nearly 33 years, I and many others got to
support Nevada, New Jersey & West Virginia. I have enjoyed the times at Rivers Casino and have found the Player Club to be generous, the slots paying out & the table games a little slow but fun. Pa drink policies & regulations suck!! Love the Rueben at this place! Prices are reasonable, especially when the food was free with comps. I still will take trips to Vegas & AC, but have given up the West Virginia trips....I like the River Casino better. I like a casino with a hotel attached & free drinks!! I'll visit on occasion, but save my real fun for AC or Las Vegas.

Terrible, terrible casino. Save your money and go somewhere else. You will not regret that, but you will regret going to the Rivers.

The only neutral thing I can say is about the employees at West End. It is normally very busy, but they try to keep their composure. They're pretty nice, but I've seen their managers SCREAMING at them over nothing. In front of guests! Unbelievable.

I have to admit, for a non-Vegas Casino, I liked the Rivers Casino. As our continued goal to hit every PA casino, my father and I spent a weekend visiting Rivers. Although I'm a Browns fan, I couldn't help but appreciate the fact that the casino is right behind Heinz Field (I hate the Steelers).
While it wasn't my father's cup of tea, I loved the atmosphere. Maybe because of the obvious college students that were there drinking and partying. However, even before it got dark and the college kids arrived, I still enjoyed the atmosphere. It just seemed more lively and upbeat than the other PA casinos I've been to.
My father played the slots and I played the tables. Unfortunately for him, I had the better weekend. He did not fair well on the slots at all, but, it did appear that other folks were having better luck. I, on the other hand, did pretty well at Blackjack and Mini-Baccarat. Kudos to Rivers for having Baccarat with a $10 minimum (which seems to be unusual in PA, WV, and IN). My only complaint is that it was difficult to find a BlackJack table without a continuous shoe (although I did find one). The dealers were all nice and friendly. The cocktail waitress made here way around frequently (amazing what tips will do).
Again, keeping in mind that this is not Vegas, the buffet was pretty good. The other food selection was ok. Since I'm not a big slot player, the Players Club Card did me no good. You just don't accumulate enough from the tables (although I spent a lot of hours and increased my bets continuously).
At this point, the Rivers is probably my favorite casino within PA, WV, and IN. Not to mention it's just a 2hr drive from my home in Ohio. Based on my father's experience, I can't say the slots are loose. However, the table games were good to me.

Craps - OK
Blackjack - too many decks and continuous shoes
Slots - fairly loose
Buffet - average at best
Wheelhouse Restaurant - above average (try the pastrami sandwich and cobb salad)

This is a place to go, for texas holdem poker players. The amount of action is unusual for these times. Many players are simply crazy and there seems to be generally a lot of money on the table. So go to rivers, sit down at the poker table, be patient, don't bluff and likely you will do very well.

Save your $$$. Slots payout is pathetic and place looks filthy .

I have been playing at the Rivers Casino since 2010. In that time, I have "earned" the "Triple Diamond" status, and contrary to some of the posts below, I can vouch that being a Triple Diamond has done nothing for me in terms of winning more - in fact, I have lost more money as a Triple Diamond member than when I started, AND the monthly free slot play has decreased significantly. People need to understand that the moth-eaten state of Pennsylvania takes 55% of every dollar lost, which as the majority of reviews here indicate, it does add up, it is very noticeable to the player and something needs to be done. Call your assemblyman/woman and demand that the state loosen the reins and make gaming fair and honest. At this point, it's legalized extortion, plain and simple. The casino can only pay out what its bringing in, less the 55% cut it has to divvy out to the scum of Harrisburg. This is why the slots are so tight, table games have such a high hold. Don't necessarily blame the casino, blame the absconders in Harrisburg, the Gaming Control Board, etc. Call your legislative branch and send a clear message that their free ride at the expense of the player needs to be leveled out to a fair playing field. Until the state gives up such a high hold, expect tight slots, etc. No casino can offer loose games with the regulations set by the state government.

I will say this, the Casino Hosts are all amazing people. Audrey, Dave (Players Club), Anita, Kris, Michael, John... These guys rock, and have been A+++.

For those wondering my "coin-in" (money I have put in the machine) since Jan 1, 2011 is $117,600, and my "coin-out" (money the machine has paid back out to me) is $100,900 - or a payout percentage of 86.6%. By industry standards, these are pathetic odds - and it's time people get together and tell the state lawmakers it's time they give back to the players who support the industry.

Terrible! We have been to this casino many times. We don't go that often, maybe once a month. Most of those times we didn't have any issues. Well, the casino made up for that the night of August 27th! We had decided to take a trip down, unaware that there was a Steelers game. We waited in traffic for over 2 hours thinking that the casino would most likely be empty. When we got to the parking garage, we were told that that the garage was full due to $25 event parking. We were then directed to valet parking that was going to cost $31. After being rerouted to the valet, we were told that that was closed as well. We called the Rivers contact number and all we got was a bunch of BS and attitude. We asked if it was just people parking in the garage for the game that were being charged the parking fee. The "gentleman" on the phone informed us that the fee applied to even the casino patrons, but that if we earned 250 points this visit the $25 dollars would be refunded. That would have been nice if we would have been able to get inside. After all of the traffic and aggravation, we were forced to turn around and go right back home. It seems to me that the Rivers Casino cared more about making money from the game than the actual casino customers. I understand that it made that casino a profit, but couldn't they have saved spots for their patrons? We will not be back to this place. One bad experience was enough for me.

To make this short and sweet this is one of the worst Casinos I have ever been to and I go all over the country. Parking is attrocious and the machines NEVER EVER give a BONUS when you are betting MAX. I literally ran thousands through every denomination machine in the place and they all were like that. I would recommend going to The Meadows before wasting your money here even though they too are very tight. These Casinos simply don't understand that they have to give a little back once in a while if they want us to keep coming. This is one of the ones that will just keeping taking and NEVER give any back. STAY AWAY and find another place, even if you have to buy a plane ticket. It will be cheaper, trust me.

This place is awful.....better spend money on flight to LV.

It goes without saying that a fool and his money are easily parted. It is gambling and losses are the norm, not winnings. We all understand this, yet the "wouldn't it be nice to..." mentality drives us on. I have been to the Rivers Casino often. It is a generally unpleasant place for gamblers as machines truly appear to be far tighter than other area casinos, but the people watching is better than at a walmart on food stamp day. These are a few thoughts, and i hope to accurately depict the Rivers Casino's good and bad points. With the sports stadiums, concert stage, and various hipster eateries and bars nearby, you get a lot of heavy traffic while approaching the casino. Parking is free most of the time, though spots within the garage are narrow and hard to come by during evening or weekend hours. Once inside the Rivers, where you will be greeted by crowded aisles, silly bad music and an overall air of despair. Again it is a casino. As in any casino, you will find a large population of elderly citizens who gamble for hours on end trying to feel alive. They move slowly, have to play 3 slot machines at a time, and give you dirty looks when you play what they have deemed to be the machine that they may have wanted to play at some point during their visit. Like any casino, it attracts people who don't know when to say when, or desperately gamble their money away hoping to pay rent and utilities. If you visit the Rivers on or about the days when welfare checks and social security are direct deposited, the people watching is at its absolute peak. The spectacle of senior citizens and welfare recipients from the low income/high crime area 2 blocks from the casino really should be enjoyed by all at least once. While there, you will see an absurd amount of money being put into the slot machines, but very little coming out. I have heard people win, yelling and clapping and all the rest, only to see that someone did a $3 bet, and won $72. Once I heard a high roller win over $10k. When I investigated, I found the wager to be 5 credits at $25 per credit. Certainly, if you are chancing $125 per spin, one would hope that a winning would sound decent. When you see someone bet $1.50 and win $200 dollars, that is a major win for the place. Again, the machines are tighter now than ever before I say this confidently after 200 or more visits there. Recently a local news channel also expressed an interest into this truth only to confirm it. Noise levels fluctuate. Some of the machines could wake the dead, some of them that should have sound are silent. It is common to hear a noisy machine blasting the sounds of bonus spins or "big wins" only to walk past and see that the player won $15 to $60 dollars. People who play the $1 wheel of fortune slots inevitably always win the lowest 2 amounts on the wheel. Maybe 1 player in a few thousand gets a good take, but don't bank on leaving there wealthy.
When my friends and I go, we play for a few hours, waste some money, and leave with stories to tell. It's a place to go, a thing to do.
The food is mediocre. The restaurants within are bland and pricey, and the buffet is heat lamp heaven. There are free pepsi product fountain drinks, approx 10 oz cups, but the drinks never taste right at all. Better food is available on the way to and fro, so we do not eat there often.
This is the kicker of the visit. The air within is putrid and stale. It smells of cheap cigarettes, heavy perfume, over-priced Budweisers, body odor and broken dreams. Trust me, you will want to launder your clothes immediately upon returning home.
The commercials are beyond misleading. There are no smiling, attractive young men and women in suits and cocktail dresses. It is crowded, noisy and filthy.
So, in many ways, the casino is just something to do.

I have over $66,000 in slot play only at this casino since January 1, 2011 and my payout percentage is 88%. I play the higher end slot games, $1 machines and above. The payouts are horrible. The State requires that the machines be set at a minimum payout percentage of 85%. Given my numbers, most, if not all of the slot machines at Rivers Casino are set at the State Minimum, if even that. When you ask for explanations from managers, they point fingers at the state gaming people. When you talk to the gaming people, they point fingers at the state assembly. It's a scam cycle, and people who patronize this pathetic excuse of a casino are doing nothing but throwing good money away. Your money would be better spent hopping on a Southwest flight to Vegas for the day, and enjoying a much friendlier staff in the Vegas casinos. While there are a few decent Rivers employees, most of them are useless, rude and do absolutely nothing to resolve your questions, or help you out. For those who are interested in a class action lawsuit against Rivers Casino, please contact me. This casino is a scam in every sense of the word. They need to hire staff that are courteous, they need to give the site a good scrub, as it is filthy, and above all - the machines need to BE LOOSENED UP!!!!! This by far is the WORST casino in the industry, and a good lawsuit against the casino and the state would be a great start to start changes.

If you want to enjoy yourself this isnt the place to be . Odds are trash, food expensive and atmosphere filthy.I wish the rating scale here had negative scores it would be minus10. Meadows way better casino.

The Rivers should change its slogan to Have A Losing Day..because when you play at this sorry ass casino ,the only winner is them and Pennsylvania..Greedy!

My latest visit to the Rivers Casino was by far the most rewarding. Not because I won, ( that would of been quoted as a MIRACLE, not rewarding.) Don't get me wrong, I won 5 or 6 times since I started going to the Rivers. Take in account,that I go on average 2 times a week since there opening. And that my largest win was about 280.00 dollars. For the most part I play penny slots and always bet between .60&.90 cent. So I said to myself,maybe if I raise my wager, I'll have a better chance of winning. So I started off with a couple different machines betting a dollar. I wasn't getting crushed,but still found myself down about 80 bucks after an hour and a half. So I decided to focus on 1 machine. I watched a lady put a 76 dollar voucher in a stacked wild penny slot. She was there about 15 minutes on a $1.20 spin. I asked if she was having any luck,with a confused look she shook her head NO. I thought since she lost 76 dollars in that machine, I would try my luck there. I put a hundred dollar bill in and set my wager to1.50 a spin. I could be wrong, but it felt like only 5 minutes before I had to put in my last 50 bucks. And just as fast as the hundred was gone, so was the 50. Now I understand we can't always win,that's not my complaint. What is my complaint, is that I watched a lady lose 76 dollars in a blink of an eye and myself 150.00 dollars,just as fast,same machine, with the biggest win of any of my spins being 6 dollars and .80 cent. Anyone who plays machines knows that's pathetic. So I decided to say something to a management. The response I got was the most rewarding. He said to me, maybe you shouldn't come here. I did take his advice,thank you. I started going to the meadows, my first week there on a .60 cent bet, I had a 400.00 dollar hit. I won more money at the meadows my first 3 weeks,than I won at the rivers in a year and a half. Also the staff and players are so much more pleasant. The Rivers is so ghetto, they have people coming off the streets to get warm and get free drinks. My husband quit going there long before me, because he almost got into fights with disrespectful patrons. He has been trying to get me to go to the meadows for quite some time. Wish I only would of listened to him sooner.

When we first started going to the Rivers, it was great. We had some losing days, but we had some really good winning days. Now I don't spend nearly as much as my wife, so I feel much worse for her. She averages going there 3 to 4times a week,losing hundreds. And still never called her once for a good prize. The most she was given for the gift of earning 250 points was 10 bucks. And it took a couple hundred to get the 250 points. Finally she realized they are nothing but money takers. And we vowed not to go back till we hear things changed. Unfortunately, too many people will keep going and giving them their money. So it will be a long time before any changes are made. For once it would be nice to watch people stand up for what should be right.

Did not have a good time. Bad Casino

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh but left to live in Michigan in 1969. Recently went back for a visit during Christmas holiday.
I guess I am spoiled by the Michigan / Native American casinos. They have much better payouts and even when we don't win we can play all day or all night and still break even. My wife and I have been to casinos in other states and Vegas as well and knowing what we know we would not recommend The Rivers Casino. The sad part is that if this casino is someone's first casino or gaming experience the gaming industry will lose some people forever as they will think that all casinos are like The Rivers. To anyone reading this that has only gone to The Rivers please do not give up. There are a lot of good casinos with better payouts on the slots and low minimum bets or antes that are much more comfortable for working class people like us and others. The high rollers don't keep the casinos open. It's people like us. The biggest disappointment was that after you sign up for your players club card you are informed that you have to lose money, over $100, before you qualify for your free play. All the other casinos we have been to give you your free play first. With the slots as tight as they are at The Rivers why would they provide a "loss incentive" to encourage you to gamble more? We always gamble more when we're winning. With only 4 casinos in the entire state I guess they figure there's no competition and they don't have to "sweeten" things up to attract business. One thing we do know. We have been gaming since 1995 and know a lot of people that do, even bumping into them in other parts of the country. Once the word gets out that a casino is run like this one gamers will avoid it. I will say that we did have lunch at the West End Cafe and the food was good and worth the price we paid.

This casino is one word GARBAGE!!!