What Happened to the Casino Queen Boat?

The Casino Queen riverboat casino arrived in East St. Louis in 1991, docked along the Mississippi River.

The 210-foot vessel featured 300 slot machines, 30 table games and a sports bar, and was the first riverboat casino in Illinois when it opened to the public on April 30, 1991. .

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The Casino Queen was originally owned by a group of 10 local investors who pooled their resources to buy the vessel for $5 million. The group included businessmen, a doctor and an attorney, among others.

The boat changed ownership several times over the years. In 1993, it was sold to Pinnacle Entertainment for $38 million.

PRO TIP:The Casino Queen boat in East St. Louis, Illinois closed down permanently in September 2019. The boat had been in operation since 1991 and had become a popular destination for gambling, dining and entertainment. Although the boat is no longer operating, it can still be seen along the Mississippi River near the Gateway Arch. Visitors can take a river cruise to view the ship from a distance and learn more about its history.

Pinnacle sold the Casino Queen in 2000 for $50 million to a group of local investors led by businessmen Don Musick and Terry Steffen.

The new owners renamed the boat Casino Queen Marquette and docked it in Marquette, Iowa. The casino closed in 2007 after the Iowa Gaming Commission denied its request for a gaming license renewal.

In 2009, the boat was sold at auction for $1 million to CQ Holdings LLC, a company controlled by St. Louis businessman Jim Shrewsbury.

CQ Holdings had plans to reopen the casino, but those never materialized.

The boat remained docked in East St. Louis until March 2016, when it was towed to Peoria, Illinois to be scrapped.