Riverboats Launch New Gambling Era
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BETTENDORF, Iowa — With calliopes playing and paddle-wheels churning, three richly appointed riverboats on Monday brought legal gambling back to the Mississippi River for the first time this century.
The boats, evoking the largely fictitious glamour of pre-Civil War river cruising, offer games of chance including craps, blackjack, roulette and slot machines.
As the $10-million Diamond Lady left its Bettendorf home port decked out in red, white and blue bunting, fireworks exploded from a barge on the Mississippi and truckers crossing the Interstate 74 bridge tooted their horns. The boat took about 500 passengers on its maiden cruise.
The other boats are the President and the Casino Belle.
Iowa law limits gamblers’ bets to $5 per play and losses to $200 per cruise. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates that spending will average $50 per passenger and anticipates millions of dollars of additional revenue for the state.
The boats are required to stay on the Iowa side of the river.
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