Here are a few Iowa casinos to visit, from Hard Rock Sioux City to Ameristar Casino Hotel
Editor's note: This story was first published in 2018 and was updated in 2023.
Feeling lucky? Slot machines, table games, race tracks — Iowa has countless ways to place your bets.
Many of the state’s casinos also offer great live entertainment, dining and even family fun.
Here are eight casinos in Iowa to consider the next time you're making a trip to the slots.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Where: 111 Third St., Sioux City
Contact: 844-222-7625
Opened in 2014, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located in Sioux City’s historic Battery Building, three hours from Des Moines. The casino features more than 600 slot machines. The property’s hotel has achieved a Four Diamond Rating from AAA since 2015. The Hard Rock boasts multiple restaurants and bars, including Main + Abbey, which serves birria tacos, bao buns, steaks and fish. The indoor live entertainment venue, Anthem, hosts rock, pop, country and hip hop performances. Battery Park, the outdoor entertainment venue, hosts nationally touring performers.
Diamond Jo Casino
Where: 301 Bell St., Dubuque
Contact: 563-690-4800
Website: https://www.diamondjodubuque.com/
Located about three hours from Des Moines near the Mississippi Riverwalk, Diamond Jo Casino offers over 750 slots. Non-gamblers can enjoy Mississippi Moon Bar to catch live music, including tribute acts for Elvis Presley, The Doors and Guns N’ Roses. The complex also includes a 30-lane bowling alley and restaurants such as The Game sports bar.
Harrah's Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel
Where: 1 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs
Contact: 712-329-6000
Harrah’s Council Bluffs is situated on the Missouri River with easy access to downtown Omaha, making this a contender for a family weekend. Three-and-a-half hours from Des Moines, the resort has more than 500 slots and 17 table games, a rooftop restaurant with 360-degree views of the river and Omaha skyline, and Stir Cove, an outdoor venue with upcoming performances by Ice Cube and Styx. Non-gamblers can explore nearby cultural attractions including the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium or Omaha’s vibrant Old Market neighborhood.
Prairie Meadows Casino
Where: 1 Prairie Meadows Dr., Altoona
Contact: 515-967-1000
Website: https://www.prairiemeadows.com/
For pure proximity, it doesn’t get better than Prairie Meadows Casino, just 12 miles from downtown Des Moines. The 85,000-square-foot casino offers table games, poker tournaments and over 1,100 slot machines. Check out the live thoroughbred races throughout the summer as well live music. Restaurants include AJ’s Steakhouse, Café at the Meadows and The Paddock Grill.
Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs
Where: 2200 River Rd., Council Bluffs
Contact: 712-328-8888
Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs has been welcoming guests for more than 20 years to its 38,500-square-foot riverboat casino, with 1,500 slot machines and 20 table games. The property’s hotel offers 160 rooms, a fitness center and indoor swimming pool enclosed in glass so you can still take in some sun. Ameristar features dining options, including a buffet and breakfast at Bella’s Bakery and Café at reasonable prices. Ameristar is about 130 miles from Des Moines.
Q Casino
Where: 1855 Greyhound Park Dr., Dubuque
Contact: 563-582-3647
Website: https://qcasinoandhotel.com/
The City of Dubuque owns the Q, which offers a 29,000-square-foot casino with 1,000 slot machines and more than 20 gaming tables as well as live music from regional acts. Located on Chaplain Schmitt Island near the Mississippi River, the casino is attached to a 116-room Hilton Garden Inn. Q features a sports bar as well as Hilton Garden Inn’s American fare restaurant Houlihan’s.
Rhythm City Casino
Where: 7077 Elmore Ave., Davenport
Contact: 563-328-8000
This modern land-based resort, opened in 2016, replaced a previous riverboat and offers a variety of slot machines 24/7 and table games. The casino is attached to a hotel and full-service spa, three restaurants and a live event center. Rhythm is two-and-a-half hours from Des Moines.
Isle Casino Hotel
Where: 777 Isle of Capri Blvd., Waterloo
Contact: 1-877-475-3946
About two hours from Des Moines, the Isle Casino and Hotel in Waterloo offers over 800 slot machines and 20 table games, three restaurants and a 194-room hotel with an arcade and an indoor pool. Restaurants include a spot for burgers and sandwiches, The Brew Brothers and pop-up Italian restaurant every Friday and Saturday. Bonus, Lost Island Theme Park and Waterpark is about a half a mile away if you want to get out for some thrills all ages can enjoy.
Paris Barraza contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa casinos: Locations from Hard Rock to Q Casino
