They say Rome didn’t fall in a day.
But in Indiana, the Glory of Rome sure did.
Early Monday morning, the world’s largest riverboat casino finally closed its doors permanently, relocating onto dry land near the riverboat’s dock in Elizabeth, Indiana.
The venue will be renamed to Caesars Southern Indiana, mostly in line with its previous Horseshoe Southern Indiana moniker. The land-based venue is set to open on Thursday, December 12, 2019, with renovations and construction finally complete as crews work overtime to move the gaming machines from The Boat to the new facility.
Of course, The Boat isn’t actually going anywhere at the moment, as it will remain docked as normal for the immediate future. While the massive four-deck, 4000-horsepower vessel is up for sale, it is unclear if any potential buyers have come forward.
So, for now, a little part of Indiana’s gambling history will stick around in the background of the state’s expanded casino gaming initiative (per HB 1015).
The Glory of Rome has been operating in the Ohio River since its construction in 1998. With a maximum capacity of 5030 guests and staff, the riverboat gambling venue – despite its designation as the biggest in the game – can’t hold a candle to the number of guests that the new Caesars property can accommodate.
Of course, that’s true for any riverboat as compared to land-based venues, as the latter operations are far larger and have enormous gaming floors and resort hotels to cater to their tens of thousands of weekly customers.
Per Horseshoe executive Jerry Finn, the new Caesars Southern Indiana should offer a massive upgrade to the gaming amusements customers are used to from the western-themed riverboat experience of yore.
“We’re very excited about the move to the land-based casino. The new casino is beautiful, there’s wonderful energy about it. I think people are going to be excited to come to it and visit, and see all the new amenities that are there that you just couldn’t have on [the] boat.”
The Caesars Southern Indiana sports a hotel with more than 500 rooms and suites, a main gaming floor with over 100,000 square feet of space, a robust selection of slots and table games, and much more. Further attractions include seven restaurants (including Jack Binion’s Steak, Smoke & Rye, JB’s Café, and the Aroma Café & Bar), as well as the following amenities:
• Concert venue
• Event hall
• Envy Bar & Lounge
• Accents gift shop
• Indulge The Spa
• Indoor pool and hot tub
• Fitness Center
• Nature preserve
• Chariot Run Golf Club
In addition to the expanded facilities, the game types on offer at the new Caesars venue should be familiar to seasoned casino gamers. You’ll be able to enjoy over 1600 slots, dozens of classic table games like blackjack, roulette, mini-bac, and craps, and have access to The Book for all kinds of national and international sports betting action.
Of course, while Indiana gambling laws allow online sports betting statewide, the same isn’t true for poker or casino gaming, which means that – for most IN residents – offshore online casinos are a better, more convenient bet.
After all, no matter how much bigger the Caesars Southern Indiana is than the erstwhile Glory of Rome, it’s still a lot smaller – in terms of gambling options – than the best offshore gambling sites.