Century Casinos To Open New Missouri Venue Next Week

The outlook on whether Missouri will vote in favor of legal sports betting and gaining access to our best sports betting sites is up in the air, but there's some good news coming down the pipes.

The Show-Me State is set to welcome its first non-floating casino next week. According to a from casino operator Century Casinos, Century Casino & Hotel Caruthersville will open its doors on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. A ribbon-cutting event is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CT on the day.

The company has various activities scheduled for the opening weekend, including live entertainment, giveaways, and food trucks.

The announcement comes after the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) granted the operator approval to transfer its gaming license from its temporary pavilion location earlier this week.

The project

Century Casino Caruthersville originally opened in 1995 as Casino Aztar and was later rebranded as Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville in 2008. Century Casinos and VICI Properties purchased the casino in 2019 and renamed it Century Casino Caruthersville. 

Legislative changes in 2021 removed the requirement for casinos to be floating facilities. Under the new law, the MGC could approve land-based facilities as long as they include a container with at least 2,000 gallons of water beneath them. This change paved the way for Century Casinos to relocate its operation inland.

Construction on the new casino began in December 2022 and is set to be completed on schedule and within budget. Real estate investment trust VICI Properties funded the project, which has cost an estimated $51.9 million.

Located next to the Mississippi River, Century Casino & Hotel Caruthersville will house 599 slot machines and nine live table games, a 50% increase in gaming options compared with the temporary location. Additionally, the new venue will offer double the number of hotel rooms, with 74 in total. It's a fantastic alternative to real-money online casinos, which aren't an option in the state.

Gambling options in Missouri

As of October 2024, Missouri bettors are limited to the state’s riverboat casinos and the MO Lottery. However, all could change in a couple of weeks. Missourians will soon vote on whether to legalize online and retail sports betting in the state. The November 5 election will see Missourians vote “yes” or “no” on Amendment 2, which would allow Missouri sports betting. The campaigns for and against are heating up, with gambling giants FanDuel and DraftKings donating over $30,000 to support the measure.

On the same day, Missouri voters will weigh in on Amendment 5, a proposed change to the state constitution that would permit the establishment of another casino on the Osage River near the Lake of the Ozarks. This amendment would override the current state law, capping the number of casino licenses at 13 by allowing for the creation of a 14th license.

Online casino gambling is not legal in Missouri. Only seven U.S. states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia, offer legal iGaming.

About Century Casinos

Founded in 1992, Century Casinos is a Colorado-based gaming company that operates 11 land-based casinos across the U.S. and Canada. It has casinos located in Alberta, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and West Virginia, in addition to four TUI Cruises ships.