Iowa’s Riverside Casino & Golf Resort is placing a significant bet on the belief that the property’s best days lie ahead.
With the upcoming opening of new competition this fall in Cedar Rapids with the $275 million Cedar Crossing Casino, Riverside Casino is making one of its largest investments ever to stay competitive and attract new guests.
On Thursday (Aug. 20), Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts commenced construction on a $35 million water park and RV resort named Blackjack Beach. Situated directly across Highway 22 from Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, the family-oriented development spans 200 acres.
Twenty years ago, we bet on Riverside and Washington County, and that partnership has exceeded every expectation,” stated Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts. “Blackjack Beach is the next chapter—a $35 million investment that transforms Riverside into 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 can 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 banking on turning Riverside Casino & Golf Resort into a family-friendly vacation hot spot in the Midwest.
“We’re constructing something that will entice families to this area summer after summer for generations,” Kehl remarked.
In addition to the water park, Blackjack Beach will feature 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 with a full-service bar and kitchen, as well as a camp store. The clubhouse also offers 3,600 square feet of event space. The stocked lake provides guests with fishing opportunities, with kayaks available for rental.
Kehl anticipates that Blackjack Beach will welcome its first guests in the summer of 2027.
“The development is projected to draw new overnight visitors to the area throughout the camping season,” the Elite Casino Resorts release stated.
Elite remains optimistic about casino gaming and family-friendly entertainment in Iowa. In August 2025, the company announced its acquisition of Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort in Burlington. Elite has since rebranded the destination as 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 in previous years.
In the state’s 2026 fiscal year ending in June 2026, Riverside recorded gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $123.4 million, a decrease of 1.9% from the prior year, approximately $2.4 million. In 2023, Riverside’s GGR was $130 million, and in 2022, it was $128.4 million.
However, Riverside Casino revenue remains well ahead of pre-pandemic levels, with a GGR of $90.1 million in 2019.