Another CQ Holding Riverboat Casino in Louisiana Goes on Shore

CQ Holdings riverboat casino the Belle of Baton Rouge in Louisiana is going to move off its aging vessel and into its onshore hotel property in Baton Rouge, following approval from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.

CQ Holdings Is Going to Invest $35 Million in the Onshore Property

CQ Holdings’ proposal to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board is for a $35 million investment in the transformation of its riverboat casino the Belle of Baton Rouge into a land casino.

All members of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board voted in favor of the project, which is going to create 200 new employment positions in Baton Rouge.

This is the second such project by CQ Holdings, which is currently finishing up the move of its other riverboat casino, Hollywood Casino, to an onshore site in Baton Rouge. The project started in 2021 and the new land casino is expected to open its doors in June-July 2023.

The new Belle of Baton Rouge project will be housed in the company’s hotel property, which worked in connection with the riverboat casino’s activities and is situated by the river coast in the downtown part of Baton Rouge. The hotel was closed in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions and will now undergo considerable renovation with the start of the new project.

The New Landside Casino Will Open Doors in 2024

Construction work is going to begin in April 2023, and the plan is for the casino and hotel to start accepting customers in May 2024.

The venue will house a casino floor of 16,500 square feet and a sports book, which will span over 2,500 square feet. Among the facilities, there will be a range of dining options such as an oyster bar and a pizza station. The casino will feature a dedicated wine bar and guests will also be able to enjoy some bowling.

Additionally, CQ Holdings is going to grant access to the dock by the venue to American Cruise Lines, which will stop over by the casino in Baton Rouge for 10 hours so that their customers can enjoy some gambling.

As part of the major project, the hotel, which sports 90 rooms in total, will also undergo renovation. It will open up together with the casino after a long-lasting closure as a result of the pandemic.

CQ Holdings CEO Terry Downey has noted that the hotel building is huge and that it has enormous potential.

CQ Holdings acquired the riverboat casino the Belle of Baton Rouge together with its hotel property from Caesars Entertainment back in December 2020.