Lakeside Hotel & Casino in Osceola, Iowa has inexpensive rooms, fun casino games, and world class entertainment and is only 45 minutes away from Des Moines. In 1989, as he approached retirement he began lobbying Iowa to pass riverboat gambling. His boat the M/V Diamond Lady was the first legal riverboat casino in modern times when it sailed from Bettendorf on April 1, 1991. The President, a gambling boat owned by John E. Connelly, opened 30 minutes later in Davenport.

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Leave the navigation to someone else when you climb aboard these boats and explore Iowa's rivers and lakes.

1. Riverboat Twilight

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Designed as a replica of a Victorian steamboat, the Riverboat Twilight has three decks, dining areas and sundecks. Take a short 1.5 hour sightseeing cruise on select dates, with Le Claire as your port of call. Want a true getaway? Two-day cruises depart from Le Claire to Dubuque and include all meals, lodging, on-board entertainment and admission to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. One-day cruises run from Dubuque to Guttenberg. Operates Memorial Day weekend through October. Admission fee applies. Reservations strongly encouraged.

2. Celebration River Cruises

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

For more than 30 years, the Celebration Belle has sailed the mighty Mississippi River with ports in Le Claire, Dubuque and the Quad Cities. The 770-passenger paddlewheel boat, the largest non-gaming riverboat on the Upper Mississippi, offers casual sightseeing, lunch, dinner and day-long cruises. Operates April through October. Admission fee applies.

3. Blue Heron Eco-Cruises

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

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Departing from Camanche, the 26-passenger Blue Heron pontoon boat provides an up close and personal look at the backwaters, sloughs and main channel of the Mississippi River. Public sunset cruises are offered Thursday evenings and some Saturday mornings out of Rock Creek Marina and Campground, May to October. Saturday morning cruises operate from May to Labor Day. Public cruises are free of charge and reservations are recommended.

4. Channel Cat Water Taxi

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Hop aboard this open-air boat that sails between several ports on both the Iowa and Illinois sides of the river in the Quad Cities. The ferry boat is part of the Quad Cities metro transit system and operates daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

5. Maiden Voyage Tours

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

In addition to a two hour long daily open boarding cruise, Maiden Voyage Tours in McGregor offers several charter options including the Tom Sawyer Adventure and Bird Eco Tours. Captain Robert, a former clammer, tells about the “hunters and gatherers of the Upper Mississippi” with clarity and humor – he’s a crowd favorite! Operates Memorial Day weekend through October. Admission fee applies.

8. American Lady River Cruises

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Choose a lunch, happy hour or sunset dinner cruise aboard this 80-foot Skipperliner yacht based in Dubuque.

9. Mississippi River Charters

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Groups of up to six can set out for two-, four- or eight-hour fishing or sightseeing trips on this charter based in Guttenberg.

10. Queen II

LAKE OKOBOJI

An Okoboji icon for more than 30 years, the Queen II provides a 60-minute narrated excursion around West Lake Okoboji. The steamboat can accommodate 200 people on its open-air upper deck and enclosed lower deck. Operates Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission fee applies.

11. Lady of the Lake

CLEAR LAKE

Enjoy a “boatload of fun” aboard the Lady of the Lake in Clear Lake. The authentic sternwheel paddleboat will take you on a 90-minute cruise around the natural, spring-fed Clear Lake. They also offer specialty cruises including the 4th of July fireworks cruise or annual Pirate Party cruises. Operates Memorial Day weekend through September. Admission fee applies.

12. Scenic City Empress

IOWA RIVER

Climb aboard the Scenic City Empress and you’ll see why Iowa Falls earned the nickname “The Scenic City.” The double-decker riverboat with an enclosed lower level cruises the Iowa River, offering beautiful views of limestone bluffs. Operates Memorial Day weekend through October. Admission fee applies.

Blackjack Gambling Games in IA

Iowa became the 1st state to legalize riverboat casinos and gambling in 1991. Now casino riverboats in Iowa are no longer required to cruise on the water, and most now sit in man-made basins of water.

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Most Iowa casinos are open 24 hours, and the legal age to gamble in Iowa is 21. 3 casinos in the state are owned by local Indian tribes.

The Ameristar Hotel Casino in Council Bluffs, IA has the most blackjack tables in the state (28), but several others fall just short of this number.

List of Iowa Casinos and Blackjack Conditions

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