Iowan gamblers could make the move from the water to the land as one of the state’s iconic riverboat casinos is set to make a change.
The Casino Queen Marquette is currently situated on the Mississippi River and has been plying its trade there since 1999 under a variety of different names.
However, big changes are set to take place, with the boat being decommissioned and replaced with a new land-based casino in the city of Marquette.
The move comes as part of a $21 million investment by the casino’s owner, Bally’s, which will also redevelop the city’s dockside area.
Currently, the boat hosts eight separate table games and more than 500 different slot machines.
Approval was granted for the new site in 2023, but work to break ground on the new casino only took place recently.
The new venue will face stiff virtual competition, since more and more Iowa gamblers are scouring the internet, searching for lists of recommended casinos without registration, allowing them to play without having to go through the hassle of a lengthy sign-up process.
Bally’s says that the relocated casino, which is to be renamed Bally’s Marquette, will feature two floors of gaming, a range of dining options, sports betting, and a dedicated entrance through a parking lot.
It is expected to open early next year, and the Casino Queen Marquette, which previously operated as the Isle of Capri Marquette and the Lady Luck Casino Marquette, will keep operating until then.
In a statement, Casino Queen Marquette General Manager Robin Corbeil said: “We are proud to honor Casino Queen Marquette’s strong community ties while introducing an exciting new chapter as Bally’s Marquette. This development brings the entertainment experience our guests enjoy onto land, making it more accessible, comfortable, and dynamic than ever before.”
The move from the river to the shore is part of an ongoing move by gambling locations in the state that has been going on for quite some time now.
In 2016, the Bettendorf Capri riverboat casino turned into the land-based Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf. As far back as 2007, around the time that the Iowa state legislature legalized land-based casino gambling, the Kanesville Queen riverboat became Harrah’s Council Bluffs.
Over the last 20 years or so, the Hawkeye State has, slowly and subtly, become something of a major player in the American casino market, playing host to 19 such facilities and attracting gamblers from across the Midwest.
Iowa’s casino industry was worth more than $1.7 billion in 2024, according to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
Further afield, a series of states’ gambling regulators have issued cease-and-desist orders against online sweepstake operators.
Gaming chiefs in Michigan, Maryland, Connecticut, New York, Louisiana, and West Virginia have all launched subpoenas against the unlicensed operators.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said last month that she had targeted 26 such businesses, while in neighboring Connecticut, the state’s Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division announced it had received a $1.5 million settlement from an unlicensed sweepstake, while State Governor Ned Lamont passed a bill banning sweepstakes which simulated sports betting or online casino games.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said it was her opinion “that online businesses offering casino-style games—purporting to be sweepstakes or social gaming platforms—[were] operating in violation of Louisiana law”.
The news comes as the state of Massachusetts revealed that its casinos and sports betting made nearly $160 million in revenue last month, a 1.7 per cent year-on-year increase.
Outside of the United States, in the Chinese region of Macau, one of the world’s major gambling centers, the casino and betting industries appear to be in something of a boom period.
In June, the territory’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) shot up by around 19 per cent year-on-year to hit $2.61 billion.
This growth was spurred on by a rise in tourism, with Macau’s hotel rooms reporting a 90 per cent occupancy rate and visitors to the territory increasing by 11 per cent earlier this year, as well as a growth in gaming openings and a stronger economy.
The majority of gaming revenue in Macau comes from low-stakes table games and slot machines, accounting for around 75 per cent of casino income.