Did You Know A Casino Boat Is Still Abandoned On Illinois Border?

There is a former riverboat casino that is abandoned and still floating on the Illinois border.

Do You Remember The Original Casinos?

Do you remember when we first got casinos? They were riverboats. To be able to gamble they had to be floating on a body of water. They would actually move a few feet from shore so no one could get off during the duration of the cruise. It was usually an hour or two.

It was a strange set-up because there is not a lot of room on that type of vessel. Only cities on rivers could get them. Luckily, the laws are different now.

History Of This Former Riverboat Casino

The name of this former riverboat casino is the Catfish Bend Casino. The facility opened in November of 1994.

The location was on the Mississippi River which is the state line of Illinois and Iowa. Its home was Burlington, Iowa with Gulfport, Illinois just across the bridge.

In 2007, the laws changed and casinos were no longer required by law to be floating on a waterway. The owners then built a new bigger and better complex on the land.

The casino boat was left abandoned. Surprisingly, it still sits there on the river.

Exploring Inside The Former Riverboat Casino

Nowadays, the only way to access it is by water.

A couple of brave explorers hopped on a small boat a rowed over to the former casino to get a look inside.

Of course, all of the gambling machines are gone but they did discover some other interesting items.

I think the people who check out all these abandoned places have a lot of guts. I would be too afraid of getting in trouble for trespassing.

Take a look at the video they made of their adventure.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.