The riverboat casino Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge will be moving onshore next spring amidst opening a $70 million expansion. It will also change its name, but the name hasn’t yet been publicized.
All 859 slot machines and 12 gaming tables will be relocated ashore. This follows the 2018 law passed by the legislature that allowed riverboat casinos to move ashore. It is hoped this will attract more investors and lead to more development, jobs and taxes.
The expansion, which broke ground in August, was originally planned for the second half of 2022, but took longer because the Mississippi River needs to drop to a certain level to drive the pilings for the expansion.
Terry Downey, president and CEO of CQ Holding Company, commented, “It took the river a while to drop down.”
The casino will add 33,000 feet to its atrium. It will include a DraftKings sports book, a coffee shop, noodle restaurant and a Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant. Eventually CQ hopes to add a hotel.
Downey told Pechanga.net: “We’re pretty high on what the market can do. With the Belle doing this phased growth, we can control our exposure. We don’t have to disturb the market, we can just grow.”
Other Louisiana riverboat or barge casinos expected to move ashore include the Isle of Capri Lake Charles, Treasure, Treasure Chest Casino and the Belle of Baton Rouge.
