Casino Queen Marquette moving to land
This rendering provided by The Queen Casino & Entertainment shows how the remodeled Casino Queen Marquette will look when it’s fully land based. Construction is anticipated to begin in the second half of this year and be completed in late 2024.
With the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s approval last week, The Queen Casino & Entertainment plans to move Casino Queen Marquette’s 17,000-square-foot gambling floor ashore, including more than 400 slot machines, two blackjack tables and several other table games. (Photo courtesy of The Queen Casino & Entertainment)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, at a Jan. 26 hearing, granted The Queen Casino & Entertainment permission to move the Casino Queen Marquette riverboat casino along the banks of the Mississippi River to land.
“We’re pleased with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s decision to approve Casino Queen Marquette’s landside move,” said Terry Downey, president and CEO of The Queen Casino & Entertainment, which purchased Casino Queen Marquette in 2017. “Iowa was the first state to recognize riverboat casino gambling, and we plan to honor that history by continuing to provide best-in-class gaming and entertainment at Casino Queen Marquette. The landside move and planned expansion will allow us to provide exciting amenities for our players, the community and tourists visiting this beautiful area.”
According to a press release issued last week, the decision will set The Queen Casino & Entertainment’s plan in motion to move the 17,000-square-foot gambling floor ashore, including more than 400 slot machines, two blackjack tables and several other table games.
As part of the remodel, the property will add 12,000 square feet to the current dockside building; an enhanced single-level gaming floor easily accessible from the main entrance with the latest in gaming technology; new dining outposts, including a dedicated sports bar; and more.
Casino Queen Marquette is located on a 31-acre site at 100 Anti Monopoly St. It originally opened as the Miss Marquette Casino on Dec. 26, 1994, offering what the North Iowa Times detailed then as “over 30,000 square feet of excitement” in the form of three dice tables, three roulette wheels, 20 blackjack tables, a poker room and 620 nickel, quarter and dollar slot machines.
At the time of a 25-year anniversary article in 2019, over 12 million people had passed through the doors since that frigidly cold day, enjoying not just gambling, but live entertainment and an extensive buffet. Countless others stop outside, posing for photos with the area’s most iconic pachyderm: Pinky the Elephant.
Casino Queen Marquette is currently one of just three riverboat casinos remaining in Iowa. State-mandated cruising rules were relaxed nearly two decades, though, so the boat hasn’t left the shoreline for excursions for some time.
The Queen Casino & Entertainment said plans for the current riverboat’s future are still to be determined.
Casino Queen Marquette’s parent company hopes construction can begin in the second half of this year. Completion is planned for late 2024.
“We don’t anticipate that construction will impact casino operations throughout the project,” The Queen Casino & Entertainment said in a statement.
“Additional parking will not be needed with the expansion project, but we do have plans for a parking garage. The current parking lot has sufficient space,” the statement added.
And what about the iconic Pinky?
“Pinky is a beloved member of the community and we know how important she is,” said a representative. “Pinky will still be located in the vicinity of the casino.”
