Rivers Casino
A casino and entertainment complex on Pittsburgh's North Shore in Pennsylvania.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Rivers Casino is a casino and entertainment venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, located in the Chateau neighborhood on the city's North Shore along the Ohio River. The property sits near the Kamin Science Center, Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, and the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. Its location is central to the property's identity and explains the adoption of the Rivers Casino name during the construction period. The casino emerged from Pennsylvania's expansion of legalized gaming under the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. The legislation authorized the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to award casino licenses, including a license reserved for Pittsburgh. Several groups competed for the license, including North Shore Gaming, Isle of Capri Casinos, Station Square Gaming, and PITG Gaming. PITG was controlled by Don H. Barden's Majestic Star Casino interests. Although Barden's proposal was initially regarded as a less likely winner because it did not offer the large arena-financing package associated with some rival bids, the Gaming Control Board awarded PITG a Category 2 slots license in December 2006. Challenges from unsuccessful applicants delayed the project but did not overturn the award. Construction began with a groundbreaking in December 2007. Financial difficulties then disrupted the project. In July 2008, Barden defaulted on a bridge loan and failed to pay some contractors, causing construction to stop. He subsequently sold 75 percent of his interest to Holdings Acquisition Co. L.P., a partnership involving Walton Street Capital LLC and High Pitt Gaming LP and led by investor Neil Bluhm. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the ownership change in August 2008, allowing construction to resume. In November of that year, the new ownership adopted the Rivers Casino name. Rivers Casino opened to the public at noon on August 9, 2009. The initial offering centered on slot-machine gaming, with approximately 3,000 machines. Table games were introduced to the general public in July 2010, and management later expanded the table-game operation to a planned total of 107 games. The property also developed a 15,000-square-foot ballroom, completed in 2011, and a poker room that included a non-smoking section by 2018. The venue's broader business includes gaming, dining, bars, nightlife, live entertainment, loyalty marketing, and sports wagering. Its restaurant portfolio has included The Wheelhouse, Flipt Burgers & Shakes, Martorano's Prime, and Mian. The property also operates bars and has used an outdoor amphitheater with capacity for approximately 1,000 people. Its Rush Rewards Players Club provides benefits tied to player activity, including promotional play, gifts, and food-related offers. Rivers Casino expanded into regulated sports betting in late 2018, first through a test period and then through official in-person wagering. Online sports betting followed in June 2019. A permanent BetRivers Sportsbook opened in September 2019 with large video displays, betting windows, and self-service kiosks. The casino continues to operate as an active Pennsylvania gaming property, subject to state gaming regulation and self-exclusion requirements.
History
Rivers Casino developed from Pennsylvania's early casino-licensing process following passage of the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. The law authorized the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to issue casino licenses and reserved one for Pittsburgh. Four principal groups pursued the Pittsburgh opportunity: North Shore Gaming, Isle of Capri Casinos, Station Square Gaming, and PITG Gaming. Local political debate was shaped by competing proposals concerning traffic, development location, and financing for a new Pittsburgh Penguins arena. PITG Gaming, a holding company connected to Don H. Barden's Majestic Star Casino, was awarded one of the state's Category 2 slots licenses on December 20, 2006. Rival applicants challenged the decision in court, but their actions did not overturn the award and contributed to construction delays. The project was planned for Pittsburgh's North Shore, an area near the city's professional sports venues and riverfront attractions. Groundbreaking took place in December 2007. The development encountered a major financial interruption in July 2008 when Barden defaulted on a $200 million bridge loan and contractors went unpaid. Construction stopped until Barden sold 75 percent of his interest to Holdings Acquisition Co. L.P. The buyer was a joint venture of Walton Street Capital LLC and High Pitt Gaming LP, led by Neil Bluhm. The Gaming Control Board approved the ownership change on August 14, 2008, and construction resumed. The new owners changed the project's name from its earlier Majestic Star identity to Rivers Casino in November 2008. The casino opened at noon on August 9, 2009. Its original core offer was a large slot-machine operation with approximately 3,000 machines. Table games were added for public play in July 2010. Following the early performance of the table-game business, management announced an expansion that was intended to bring the property to 107 table games. Rivers also invested in non-gaming amenities, including a 15,000-square-foot ballroom completed in October 2011, dining venues, bars, nightlife facilities, and an outdoor amphitheater with capacity for about 1,000 people. By 2018, the property included a 30-table non-smoking poker room. The property's customer-retention program is the Rush Rewards Players Club, which offers benefits based on play levels. Rewards have included promotional slot play, monthly gifts, and complimentary or discounted food. Dining concepts have included The Wheelhouse, Flipt Burgers & Shakes, Martorano's Prime, and Mian. A buffet that had operated at the property closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rivers Casino later broadened its gaming business through sports wagering. In December 2018 it conducted a two-day test period before officially launching retail sports betting on December 15. Online sports betting began on June 25, 2019. A permanent BetRivers Sportsbook opened on September 29, 2019, with a 5,500-square-foot footprint, large LED screens, multiple high-definition displays, betting windows, and self-service kiosks. Management changed in 2018 when Bill Keena succeeded long-serving general manager Craig Clark. The casino remains subject to Pennsylvania gaming rules, including the state's iGaming Self-Exclusion program. Patrons may voluntarily place themselves on a Do Not Play list, and excluded individuals who enter the property may face trespassing consequences. The property also maintains the authority to exclude individuals suspected of cheating or coordinated cheating.
- 2019
Online betting and permanent sportsbook expand the offering
[1]Online sports betting launched in June, followed by the opening of a permanent BetRivers Sportsbook in September.
- 2018
Sports betting and management transition
[1]Bill Keena became general manager, and the property began its retail sports-betting launch under Pennsylvania's regulated framework.
- 2011
Ballroom expansion completed
[1]A 15,000-square-foot ballroom was completed, adding event capacity and riverfront views.
- 2010
Table games launch
[1]Table games opened to the general public in July.
- 2009
Grand opening
[1]Rivers Casino opened to the public on August 9.
- 2008
Ownership restructuring and rebranding
[1]Holdings Acquisition Co. acquired a 75 percent interest after project financing problems, and the property was renamed Rivers Casino later that year.
- 2007
Construction breaks ground
[1]Groundbreaking took place on the Pittsburgh North Shore in December.
- 2006
PITG Gaming receives the Pittsburgh casino license
[1]The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded PITG Gaming a Category 2 slots license for the Pittsburgh project.
Products and positioning
A destination casino and entertainment complex serving Pittsburgh and the wider Pennsylvania gaming market, differentiated by its North Shore riverfront location, proximity to major sports and cultural venues, broad gaming offer, sports-betting operation, dining, and live entertainment.
Casino gaming · 2009
Slot-machine gaming
Slot-machine gaming was the property's initial core offering when Rivers Casino opened in 2009. The casino has been described as having approximately 3,000 slot machines, making the slot floor a central part of its gaming proposition.
Casino gaming · 2010
Table games
Table games became available to the public in July 2010. After the operation gained traction, management announced plans to expand the number of games, with a target of 107 tables by spring 2011.
Casino gaming
Poker room
Rivers Casino operates a poker room, reported by 2018 to include 30 tables and a non-smoking area. It complements the property's slot and table-game operations with a dedicated card-playing venue.
Sports betting · 2019
BetRivers Sportsbook
The BetRivers Sportsbook is the property's regulated retail sports-wagering operation. It began with a test period in December 2018 and later became permanent in a 5,500-square-foot facility equipped with LED displays, television screens, betting windows, and self-service kiosks.
Customer loyalty program
Rush Rewards Players Club
Rush Rewards is the casino's player-loyalty program. Benefits vary by play level and have included promotional slot play, monthly gifts, and complimentary or discounted food offers.
Hospitality and entertainment · 2009
Dining and entertainment venues
The property has complemented gaming with restaurants, bars, nightlife, and live-event facilities. Named restaurant concepts have included The Wheelhouse, Flipt Burgers & Shakes, Martorano's Prime, and Mian, while the venue has also included an outdoor amphitheater and ballroom.
Brand decisions
2019
Expand into online wagering and a permanent sportsbookProduct launchBackground
After beginning retail sports betting, Rivers Casino pursued a broader omnichannel wagering offer.
Action taken
Online sports betting launched on June 25, and a permanent BetRivers Sportsbook opened on September 29.
Aftermath
Sports wagering became an established component of the property's casino and entertainment proposition.
2018
Enter regulated sports bettingProduct launchBackground
Pennsylvania's regulated sports-betting framework created an opportunity for the casino to extend its gaming offer.
Action taken
Rivers Casino conducted a two-day test beginning December 13 and commenced official sports betting on December 15.
Aftermath
The property subsequently added online sports betting and a permanent retail sportsbook.
2010
Add table gamesProduct launchBackground
The casino opened in 2009 with slots as its principal gaming product.
Action taken
Management opened table games to the general public in July 2010.
Aftermath
Management later announced additional tables and a target of 107 games.
2008
Restructure ownership after construction financing problemsM&ABackground
Construction stopped after Don Barden defaulted on a bridge loan and contractors were not paid. The project required new capital and an ownership reorganization.
Action taken
Barden sold 75 percent of his interest to Holdings Acquisition Co. L.P., a joint venture of Walton Street Capital LLC and High Pitt Gaming LP. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the change.
Aftermath
Construction resumed, and the new ownership subsequently rebranded the project as Rivers Casino.
2008
Adopt the Rivers Casino brandStrategyBackground
The ownership transition created an opportunity to replace the project's earlier Majestic Star identity with a name tied to its Pittsburgh riverfront location.
Action taken
The owners changed the name to Rivers Casino in November 2008.
Aftermath
The river-based name became the identity under which the property opened and continued operating.
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