Ameristar Casinos has announced they have been given the green light from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) to expand their Council Bluffs riverboat casino property. Pending other regulatory approvals, Ameristar is prepared to put $100 million into giving Council Bluffs Casino a massive makeover and expansion. First opened in 1996, Council Bluffs Casino currently offers 1,500 slot machines, 46 table games and a hotel renowned for its customer service.

Upon the announcement they were approved by the IRGC to carry out their plans, Ameristar executives gave a presentation to members of the IRGC, detailing the scope of the project. Ambitious to say the least, Ameristar will be adding an additional 60,000 square feet to their current space, which will essentially double the size of the existing property. The casino floor itself is going to be doubled in size with an additional 38,500 square foot single-level gaming floor.

Ameristar execs pointed out that while an additional six-hundred slot machines, twenty table games and a dedicated poker room will be added to the casino floor, there will be more overall space for guests to move around considering the vast size of the new expansion. The sight lines within the gaming floor itself will even be better than before.

Also taking a big dent out of the $100 million investment will be three additional bars, including a decked out central bar, a Star Club VIP gamers lounge, deli restaurant, a 1,000 space parking garage and a new connecting ramp to the existing garage in place.

Basically, much of the expansion is geared towards accommodating a larger number of casino players while still giving easy access and comfort to all of their guests. The completion is schedule to be finished by mid-2009, pending there are no drastic changes to plans. Iowa casino gamblers have much to look forward to, considering Council Bluffs is already the only AAA Four-Diamond riverboat casino in the U.S., not to mention the largest in Iowa.