Hollywood Casino Council Bluffs Breaks Ground on New Land-Based Facility

PENN Entertainment has set the date for groundbreaking on its new Hollywood Casino Hotel Council Bluffs project, with ceremonies scheduled for September 14, 2026 at 10 a.m. CT, and the company will invest between 180 and 200 million dollars to replace the existing Ameristar Council Bluffs riverboat casino with a permanent land-based venue once regulatory approvals clear.

Project Scope and Features

The development will deliver roughly 1,000 slot machines along with 25 live table games while introducing new dining venues that include the first Shake Shack location in the Omaha area, and the entire complex will connect directly to the existing hotel and pavilion structures already on site.

Construction crews expect to generate approximately 450 temporary positions during the build phase, after which the finished property will support about 50 new permanent roles, and the shift from the riverboat format marks a significant infrastructure change for the Council Bluffs gaming market.

Timeline and Construction Phases

Work is projected to last between 18 and 24 months following the September 2026 start, which places the anticipated opening in 2028, while the company continues to coordinate with state regulators on the required permits before any earth-moving begins.

Observers note that the transition from a riverboat to a land-based operation aligns with similar upgrades completed at other properties across the Midwest, where operators have cited improved guest access and expanded amenities as primary drivers for the investment.

Regulatory and Economic Context

The project remains subject to approvals from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, whose oversight covers licensing and operational standards for all casino facilities in the state, and company representatives have indicated they will submit final plans in the coming months to meet the scheduled groundbreaking.

According to data compiled by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, riverboat casinos in the region have operated under seasonal and access limitations that land-based facilities can avoid, which explains why several operators have pursued similar conversions in recent years.

Local workforce development offices anticipate that the construction phase will draw labor from the broader Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, where unemployment figures have remained stable, and the addition of permanent positions is expected to contribute modestly to the hospitality sector once the property opens.

Integration with Existing Infrastructure

Design plans call for seamless pedestrian connections between the new casino building and the current hotel tower plus pavilion, which will allow guests to move between lodging, gaming, and dining areas without leaving the property, and this layout mirrors configurations already in use at other PENN Entertainment locations.

Traffic studies commissioned by the company will examine potential impacts on nearby roads during both construction and eventual operations, while planners incorporate stormwater management and landscaping requirements mandated by municipal codes.

Conclusion

The September 14, 2026 groundbreaking represents the formal launch of a multi-year effort to modernize the Council Bluffs gaming site, and stakeholders will monitor progress through the regulatory review process and subsequent construction milestones that lead to the 2028 opening.