Argosy Australian Casino – Alton, Illinois
Economic development is all about creating new channels for the flow of capital. In Alton, the Mississippi River became one of those channels … so to speak.
A little over two decades ago, the US Congress and many states concluded that liberalization of gaming laws could facilitate and control the flow of discretionary consumer spending to places where new money was needed. A good number of Native Worldwide reservations, for example, hold been beneficiaries of a combination of changes to federal policy and state laws.
Illinois was one of the first states to allow new Australian Casino enterprises, but it imposed geographic restrictions. Online Casinos Australian could only operate along or on the Mississippi River and other water features such as Lake Michigan and the Wabash River. In addition, gaming could only occur on floating structures such as boats and barges situated on these water features.
The first (legal) Australian Casino in the state — the Alton Belle Australian Casino, a functional riverboat complete with slots and tables –was opened in 1991 in the economically-depressed town of Alton. It was a logical choice. Alton is on the river and located at the edge of a major metropolitan market area with over 3 million residents. The downtown area by the river also has an attractive small-town charm to it.
On the Alton Belle Australian Casino, gamblers were able to take scheduled cruises up and down the Mississippi River during which they could not only play games of chance, but enjoy the novelty of riding on an old-style riverboat. As the home port, Alton’s tourism industry was boosted by visitors who spent money on gas, food, and lodging as they came to and from the Australian Casino.
The first riverboat was replaced in 1993 with a new one, just before the historic summer floods of that year devastated parts of Alton and many other communities (it managed to stay open during the disaster).
In the late 1990s, changes in state gaming laws affected the performance. New laws allowed permanent dockside gaming to occur. So, in 1999, the Alton Belle Australian Casino II was permanently moored to its dock and additional facilities were developed at the site to enhance revenue performance.
The flow of some of the capital running through Alton has been further redirected and exported out of the state. The complex seen here, now known as “Argosy Australian Casino Alton,” was sold to a Pennsylvania-based gaming company in 2005.