Riverside Casino Bets on ‘Blackjack Beach’ Water Park and RV Resort to Boost Business

Iowa’s Riverside Casino & Golf Resort is staking a big bet on the belief that the property’s best days are only ahead. Elite Casino Resorts is underway with Blackjack Beach, a $35 million water park and RV resort adjacent to its Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. The Iowa destination seeks to become a go-to spot for families on vacation. (Image: Elite Casino Resorts) With new competition set to open this fall in Cedar Rapids with the $275 million Cedar Crossing Casino, Riverside Casino is making one of the largest investments in the property’s history to remain competitive and lure in new guests. On Thursday (Aug. 20), Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts broke ground on a $35 million water park and RV resort called Blackjack Beach. Located directly across Highway 22 from Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, the family-friendly development spans 200 acres. Twenty years ago, we bet on Riverside and Washington County, and that partnership has exceeded every expectation,” said Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts. “Blackjack Beach is the next chapter—a $35 million investment that makes Riverside a true family destination.” The centerpiece of Blackjack Beach is a resort-style aquatic park that includes a 447-foot-long lazy river, separate activity and lounge pools, a hot tub, a 30-foot-high waterslide, an inflatable water park on the lake, and a swim-up bar with poolside seating. The water complex will be able to accommodate up to 700 guests at a time and will be surrounded by over 56,000 square feet of deck space. Family-Friendly Casino Destination Elite Casino Resorts is betting on making Riverside Casino & Golf Resort a Midwest family-friendly vacation hotspot. “We’re building something that will bring families back to this community summer after summer for generations,” Kehl said. Along with the water park, Blackjack Beach will include 154 premium RV sites, including lakefront spaces and 10 oversized double pull-through sites. RV and water park guests will have access to a 14,131-square-foot clubhouse featuring a full-service bar and kitchen, and a camp store. The clubhouse also includes 3,600 square feet of event space. The stocked lake gives guests access to fishing, with kayaks available for rental. Kehl expects Blackjack Beach to welcome its first guests in the summer of 2027. “The development is expected to draw new overnight visitors to the region throughout the camping season,” the Elite Casino Resorts release concluded. Elite remains bullish on casino gaming and family-fun entertainment in Iowa. In August 2025, the company announced it was acquiring Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort in Burlington. Elite has since rebranded the destination to the Great River Casino Resort. Riverside Seeks Comeback According to annual gaming revenue reports from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, Riverside is generating less gaming revenue than it did a few years ago. In the state’s 2026 fiscal year ending June 2026, Riverside generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $123.4 million, down 1.9% from the previous year, or about $2.4 million. In 2023, Riverside GGR totaled $130 million, and in 2022, GGR was $128.4 million. However, Riverside Casino revenue remains far ahead of pre-pandemic levels, as 2019 GGR was $90.1 million. The post Riverside Casino Bets on ‘Blackjack Beach’ Water Park and RV Resort to Boost Business appeared first on Casino.org.