Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DUBUQUE CASINO BELLE: Difference between revisions
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Length Overall----387 feet | Length Overall----387 feet | ||
Hull Depth-------- 11 feet | Hull Depth-------- 11 feet | ||
Speed------------- 12 miles per hour | Speed------------- 12 miles per hour | ||
Crew--------------250 | Crew--------------250 | ||
Revision as of 23:50, 11 May 2009
DUBUQUE CASINO BELLE. The first American flagged vessel in the United States licensed for casino gambling. In 1989 with increasing numbers of tourists and talk of legalized gambling in Iowa on the MISSISSIPPI RIVER, the Kehl family began plans to build a $12 million casino gambling boat and $3.9 million on-shore facilities based in Dubuque. In 1990 the DUBUQUE RACING ASSOCIATION, a non-profit organization, with the Dubuque Casino Belle, Inc. received the first riverboat gambling license in the state of Iowa.
The three thousand-passenger side-wheeler was built longer than a football field by the Patti Shipyard in Pensacola, Florida, for Robert KEHL. At the time of its construction the longest passenger vessel on the Mississippi River, the Belle offered a grand lobby, four decks, three casinos, showroom, two dining rooms, six bars and an open air deck for sightseeing.
In the summer season, five hour cruises were offered twice daily and three times on Saturday. All cruises included a meal, showroom entertainment, the sights of the river, and the opportunity to gamble. Full casino gambling aboard the Dubuque Casino Belle consisted of 500 slot and poker machines and 26 gaming tables to include blackjack, roulette, craps and big six. The Casino Belle was also available for private outings, holiday parties and business meetings.
Statistics: Length Overall----387 feet
Hull Depth-------- 11 feet
Speed------------- 12 miles per hour
Crew--------------250
The Belle, designed with three casinos containing over five hundred slot and poker machines and twenty-six gaming tables, received the State of Iowa's first gambling license in 1990.