Q Casino Dubuque Opening
We Are Q, dubuQue’s one-stop destination for a fun gaming experience, the best dining, and ‘A’ list musical and comedy entertainment. 8, the Q Casino in Dubuque received permission from the IRGC to operate. The city-owned casino, which also operates on-site greyhound racing, is using IGT as a vendor. However, Ohorilko.
| Q Casino | |
|---|---|
| Location | Dubuque, Iowa |
| Address | 1855 Greyhound Park Drive |
| Opening date | June 1, 1985 |
| Theme | French |
| No. of rooms | 116 @ the Hilton Garden Inn |
| Total gaming space | 29,600 sq ft (2,750 m2) |
| Permanent shows | Cabaret; Encore Stage |
| Signature attractions | Greyhound racing (May–October) |
| Notable restaurants | Champagne Steakhouse; Bon Appetite Buffet |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | City of Dubuque |
| Previous names | Dubuque Greyhound Park (1985-1995) Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino (1995-2009) Mystique (2009-2017) |
| Renovated in | 1995, 2005, 2009 |
| Website | qcasinoandhotel.com |
Q Casino (formerly Mystique and Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino) is a combination greyhound race track and casino (racino) located in Dubuque, Iowa. The casino is owned by the City of Dubuque, and operated by the non-profit Dubuque Racing Association, its license holder. It is a member of the Iowa Gaming Association, and shares a gaming license with the Diamond Jo Casino, also in Dubuque. Beginning operations on June 1, 1985, the track became a full-service casino following the introduction of table games in 2005.
Q Casino is an entertainment and gaming complex located in Dubuque, Iowa. The casino is owned by the City of Dubuque, and operated by the non-profit Dubuque Racing Association, its license holder. ### Contact: Brian Rakestraw General Manager 563-585-2960 brianr@QCasinoDBQ.com August 26, 2019 - For Immediate Release Q Sportsbook Opening. The concert experience at Q Casino can’t be beat. We bring incredibly talented and entertaining acts right to you! 1855 Greyhound Park Rd. Dubuque, IA 52001.
Q Casino is located on Chaplain Schmitt Island, near the Mississippi River. The casino, along with attractions in the Port of Dubuque and Downtown Dubuque, have helped to create a large and growing tourism market in Dubuque.
Casino[edit]
Q Casino is the larger of Dubuque's two casinos, with 29,600 square feet (2,750 m2) of gaming space. It has 1,000 slot, keno, and video poker machines, and table games including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Pai Gow poker, Let It Ride, Texas Hold 'em and Ultimate Texas Hold'em. The operation also has four restaurants—the Champagne Steakhouse, Bon Appetit Buffet, The Players Club Sports Bar, and The Players Club Express in the greyhound track seating area, and Houlihan's adjacent to the facility. The casino features two entertainment venues—the 'Cabaret' venue for national and 'tribute' musical performers plus the Bonkerz Comedy Club, and the 'Encore' stage in the casino for local musical acts.[1]
Q Casino Dubuque Opening Hours
History[edit]
With the onset of the 'Farm Crisis', and a successive economic recession, the Iowa State Legislature passed the Pari-mutuel Wagering Act in 1984, with the hope of jumpstarting the state's economy. The bill permitted the opening of horse and greyhoundrace tracks in Iowa. A group of Dubuque citizens, originally affiliated with the city's convention and visitors bureau, formed the independent, non-profit Dubuque Racing Association to study the feasibility of opening a race track in Dubuque. In April 1984, a 20-year, $7.9 million bond referendum was put before the voters, and passed with a 70% majority.
The following year, on June 1, 1985, the Dubuque Greyhound Park opened as Iowa's first pari-mutuel race track, and as the first non-profit greyhound race track in the nation. The facility's bonds were paid off in May 1991, 14 years ahead of schedule. In 1994, the Iowa Legislature passed another bill, allowing for the installation of slot machines at land-based casinos in the state. The Dubuque operation did so in November 1995, renaming itself the Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino.
Iowa law requires that county voters re-approve gambling every eight years. In 2002, Dubuque County voters re-approved gambling in Dubuque County with over 80% in support.
In 2009, Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino was renamed Mystique. A $10 million renovation includes incorporating a French theme throughout the casino, as well as adding a new steakhouse, buffet, and entertainment area.[2]
In March 2017, Mystique was again rebranded as Q Casino, to avert a trademark lawsuit by the Mystic Lake Casino.[3][4]
Expansion[edit]
On the eve of its 20th anniversary, in May 2005, the casino completed a $33 million expansion and renovation project, tripling the size of the gaming floor to 29,000 square feet (2,700 m2). The facility also became a full-service casino, by adding table games and a poker room for the first time.[5] The expansion greatly increased the casino's market share, with attendance rising to over a million visitors in the following year.
That same year, a 116-room Hilton Garden Inn was built adjacent to the casino, along with a Houlihan's Restaurant.
References[edit]
- ^'Mystique facility information'. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^'Mystique Casino & Dubuque Greyhound Park history'. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^Katie Wiedemann (February 28, 2017). 'Mystique Casino changes name to Q Casino'. KCRG-TB. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
- ^Jeff Montgomery (February 28, 2017). 'Mystique fades: Dubuque casino changing names as part of rebranding effort'. Telegraph Herald. Dubuque, IA. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
- ^'DGP&C expansion details'(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 42°31′01″N90°38′39″W / 42.51701°N 90.644208°W
| Diamond Jo | |
|---|---|
Diamond Jo Casino in the foreground; the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge is at the upper right. | |
| Address | 301 Bell Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 |
| Opening date | December 11, 2008 |
| Theme | Las Vegas |
| Total gaming space | 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m2) |
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | Boyd Gaming |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 42°29′49″N90°39′34″W / 42.49695°N 90.659444°W |
| Website | diamondjo.com |
The Diamond Jo Casino is a gambling casino and entertainment complex located in the Port of Dubuque, in Dubuque, Iowa. The casino is owned and operated by Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming, which also owns the Diamond Jo Casino - Worth in Northwood, Iowa. It is a member of the Iowa Gaming Association, and its license is held by the Dubuque Racing Association, which operates Q Casino. Beginning operations on May 18, 1994, the Diamond Jo was a 3-level, 305-foot (93 m), 1,500-passenger vessel in Dubuque's Ice Harbor.[1] The boat was a dockside that did not cruise, the casino became land-based when its new facility opened December 11, 2008.
The Diamond Jo Casino is located at 301 Bell Street, in the rapidly developing Port of Dubuque. The casino, along with the nearby National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and other attractions, have helped to create a large and growing tourism market in Dubuque.
Riverboat casino[edit]
As a riverboat operation the Diamond Jo was the smaller of Dubuque's two casinos, with 19,600 square feet (1,820 m2) of gaming space. It has 777 slot, keno, and video poker games, and 17 table games, including: Big Raise Hold 'em, Blackjack, Craps, Four card poker, Let It Ride, Roulette, Texas Hold 'em, and Three card poker.[2] The operation had 3 restaurants: the Diamond Deli, HighSteaks Restaurant, and Jo's Café.
History[edit]
On April 1, 1991, the Dubuque Racing Association (DRA) and local businessman Robert Kehl opened Iowa's first riverboat casino in Dubuque's Ice Harbor, the Casino Belle. This boat's operation was short-lived, however, and relocated to Missouri in 1993, following a change in ownership.[3]
Soon after, the DRA began to search for a new riverboat to operate under the gaming license already in place. The organization selected the Greater Dubuque Riverboat Entertainment Company L.C., and its boat, which was later named the Diamond Jo, following a local naming contest. The name honors businessman Joseph 'Diamond Jo' Reynolds, who owned a Dubuque shipping company, among other enterprises. The 'first' Diamond Jo Casino began operations on May 18, 1994. After a year and a half, in October 1995, that boat was replaced with a larger, 1,500-passenger riverboat.[4]
In July 1999, Dubuque-based Peninsula Gaming purchased the casino operation, and spent $1 million updating the riverboat.[5] Peninsula Gaming continues to operate the casino. In 2006, Peninsula opened a second Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa, 200 miles (320 km) from Dubuque. Peninsula was acquired in November 2012 by Boyd Gaming.[6]
Expansion[edit]
In September 2006, Peninsula Gaming officials announced that the Diamond Jo would begin a major expansion, during which it would become a land-based casino. The $75 million project, set to open in November 2008, will include 1,000 slot machines, 17 table games, and a poker room in a new 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) casino. Also included in the project are a 36-lane bowling & entertainment center, 3 restaurants, retail stores, and a 1,130-space, $23 million parking ramp.
The casino's expanded operation is part of the 'America's River Project: Phase II', which will also involve a major expansion of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. The museum will take over the Diamond Jo's existing Portside Building, as well as the riverboat, and renovate them into an IMAX-like theater and exhibit space.
Land-based casino complex[edit]
The land-based complex, which is a short distance away from the old casino property, opened on December 11, 2008. The new, two-story, $82 million facility has approximately 900 slot and video machines, 17 table games, and a separate high-stakes gaming area. The Diamond Jo complex features three sitdown restaurants (The Woodfire Grille, The Filament and Kitchen Buffet), two bars (the Tree Bar and The Game Sports Bar), a 30 lane bowling alley (Cherry Lanes) with scheduled leagues, and an entertainment theatre complex (The Mississippi Moon Bar).
Mississippi Moon Bar[edit]
Q Casino Dubuque Dog Track Schedule
The Mississippi Moon Bar was named after the refrain in the Doobie Brothers song 'Black Water', which the casino uses in their current commercial campaign. The Doobie Brothers were also one of the first groups to perform at the bar.
Q Casino Dubuque Opening Dates
References[edit]
- ^'Diamond Jo's riverboat: Stats'. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
- ^'Slots and table game types'. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
- ^'History of the Diamond Jo: Casino Belle'. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
- ^'History of the Diamond Jo'. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
- ^'History of the Diamond Jo'. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
- ^'Boyd completes $1.45 billion acquisition of Peninsula Gaming'. Vegas Inc. November 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-20.