Ameristar Casino East Chicago
A riverboat casino and hotel property in East Chicago, Indiana, serving the Chicago metropolitan area and northwest Indiana.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Ameristar Casino East Chicago is a riverboat casino and hotel complex docked at Indiana Harbor on Lake Michigan in East Chicago, Indiana. The property serves the northwest Indiana and Chicago metropolitan markets and operates under the Ameristar name. It is not a separately listed company; rather, it is an individual gaming property whose real estate is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and whose casino operations are conducted by Penn Entertainment. The casino occupies approximately 56,000 square feet and is described as offering about 1,900 slot machines, including reel, video-reel, and video-poker formats, as well as more than 40 table games. A high-limit gaming room is located on land adjacent to the riverboat. The associated hotel contains 288 rooms. Together, the casino, hotel, dining, and entertainment facilities position the property as a regional gaming and hospitality destination rather than as a broad consumer brand with independently marketed product lines. The property opened on April 18, 1997, as Showboat Mardi Gras Casino. Its ownership and operating identity changed several times during the following two decades. Harrah's Entertainment acquired Showboat, Inc. in 1998 and renamed the casino Harrah's East Chicago. It was subsequently sold to Resorts International Holdings and became Resorts East Chicago, with the surrounding street also renamed 777 Resort Boulevard. Ameristar Casinos acquired the property in 2007 and rebranded it Ameristar before the applicable September 2008 deadline. In 2013, Ameristar Casinos was acquired by Pinnacle Entertainment, bringing the East Chicago property into Pinnacle's portfolio. In 2016, Gaming and Leisure Properties acquired the real estate of the property, together with most of Pinnacle's other real-estate assets, and leased the facility back to Pinnacle. Penn National Gaming, now known as Penn Entertainment, assumed the operating business in 2018 through its acquisition of Pinnacle Entertainment. This separated the property's real-estate ownership from its casino operations: GLPI owns the underlying real estate, while Penn Entertainment operates the gaming and hospitality business. The casino is hosted by the vessel Win Star. The vessel was built in 1997 by Atlantic Marine, Inc. and is approximately 332.2 feet long. Its reported gross tonnage is 2,803 tons and its net tonnage is 1,906 tons. Although the property is associated with a docked riverboat, its high-limit gaming area and other facilities include land-based components. Public reference material does not establish a separate founding founder, independently listed corporate structure, or standalone financial reporting for the property.
History
Ameristar Casino East Chicago is a riverboat casino and hotel property located at Indiana Harbor on Lake Michigan in East Chicago, Indiana. Its history reflects the consolidation and separation of ownership and operating companies that have characterized the United States casino industry. The facility opened on April 18, 1997, under the name Showboat Mardi Gras Casino. The vessel-based casino was established to serve the northwest Indiana and Chicago metropolitan markets, where proximity to Chicago provided access to a large regional customer base. In 1998, Harrah's Entertainment acquired Showboat, Inc. Following that transaction, the East Chicago casino was renamed Harrah's East Chicago. Harrah's later sold the property to Resorts International Holdings. Under the Resorts identity, the casino became Resorts East Chicago, and the street serving the property was renamed 777 Resort Boulevard. These changes made the property's public identity follow the successive corporate owners and operators rather than preserving the original Showboat branding. Ameristar Casinos acquired the property in 2007. The casino was subsequently renamed Ameristar, with the rebranding completed before the September 2008 deadline referenced in public descriptions of the property. The Ameristar identity remained in use after the next ownership transition. In August 2013, Pinnacle Entertainment acquired Ameristar Casinos, placing the East Chicago casino within Pinnacle's portfolio. A significant structural change occurred in April 2016. Gaming and Leisure Properties acquired the East Chicago property's real estate along with nearly all of Pinnacle's other real-estate assets. The operating business was leased back to Pinnacle, creating the ownership arrangement common to casino real-estate investment trusts: one company owns the land and physical facilities while another runs the casino and hospitality operations. In October 2018, Penn National Gaming acquired Pinnacle Entertainment. The transaction transferred operation of the East Chicago property to Penn National Gaming, which later adopted the name Penn Entertainment. Gaming and Leisure Properties remained the real-estate owner. Accordingly, the property's current corporate structure is best described as GLPI-owned and Penn-operated, rather than as a Boyd Gaming property. The casino is hosted by the Win Star, a vessel built in 1997 by Atlantic Marine, Inc. Public descriptions give the vessel a length of approximately 332.2 feet, gross tonnage of 2,803 tons, and net tonnage of 1,906 tons. The property is not limited to the vessel itself: a high-limit gaming room is located on adjacent land, and the overall complex includes hotel and hospitality facilities. The casino complex includes approximately 56,000 square feet of gaming space, around 1,900 slot machines, more than 40 table games, a high-limit gaming area, and a 288-room hotel. Its publicly documented role is that of a regional gaming and lodging destination. Available reference material does not provide a separately reported financial history, a named founder, or a complete chronology of renovations and individual entertainment programs.
- 2018
Penn assumes casino operations
[1]Penn National Gaming acquired Pinnacle Entertainment and took over operations of the East Chicago property.
- 2016
Real estate transferred to Gaming and Leisure Properties
[1]GLPI acquired the property's real estate and leased it back to Pinnacle Entertainment.
- 2013
Pinnacle Entertainment acquires Ameristar Casinos
[1]The East Chicago property entered Pinnacle Entertainment's portfolio through Pinnacle's acquisition of Ameristar Casinos.
- 2007
Ameristar Casinos acquires the property
[1]Ameristar Casinos purchased the casino from Resorts International Holdings and began the transition to the Ameristar identity.
- 1998
Property becomes Harrah's East Chicago
[1]Harrah's Entertainment acquired Showboat, Inc. and renamed the property Harrah's East Chicago.
- 1997
Showboat Mardi Gras Casino opens
[1]The riverboat casino opened on April 18, 1997, in East Chicago, Indiana.
Products and positioning
A regional casino and hotel destination for customers from northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area, combining riverboat-themed gaming with hospitality and entertainment facilities.
Gaming entertainment · 1997
Casino gaming
The property's main offering is on-site casino gaming in approximately 56,000 square feet of space. Public descriptions identify about 1,900 slot machines, including reel, video-reel, and video-poker formats, together with more than 40 table games. A separate high-limit gaming room is located on land adjacent to the riverboat.
Hospitality
Hotel accommodation
The casino complex includes a 288-room hotel supporting overnight stays for gaming and leisure visitors. Available reference material identifies the room count but does not provide a detailed breakdown of room categories, amenities, or current hotel branding.
Hospitality and entertainment
Dining and entertainment
Dining and related entertainment form part of the property's broader casino-resort proposition. The available reference material confirms related hospitality services but does not sufficiently document individual restaurants, venues, menus, or recurring entertainment programs.
Brand decisions
2018
Penn National Gaming acquires the operating businessM&ABackground
Penn National Gaming acquired Pinnacle Entertainment, whose portfolio included the operating business of Ameristar Casino East Chicago.
Action taken
Penn National Gaming assumed operation of the casino and hotel property.
Aftermath
The operator later became known as Penn Entertainment, while Gaming and Leisure Properties continued to own the real estate.
2016
Real-estate sale and leasebackM&ABackground
Pinnacle Entertainment restructured its property portfolio by selling the real estate associated with the East Chicago casino.
Action taken
Gaming and Leisure Properties acquired the real estate and leased it back to Pinnacle, which continued operating the casino at that time.
Aftermath
The property adopted a split ownership and operating structure, with GLPI as real-estate owner and Penn Entertainment later becoming the operator.
2007
Ameristar acquisition and rebrandingM&ABackground
The property had previously operated under the Resorts East Chicago name after earlier ownership by Harrah's and Resorts International Holdings.
Action taken
Ameristar Casinos acquired the casino and changed its public identity to Ameristar before September 2008.
Aftermath
The Ameristar name continued through the property's later transition into Pinnacle Entertainment's portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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