Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles is a riverboat casino located on the Missouri River in St. Charles, Missouri, a northwestern suburb of St. Louis. It is one of several casinos in the greater St. Louis market. It is currently owned by Boyd Gaming. Ameristar attracts over 5.5 million visitors a year[1][2] and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Missouri.
History
The casino opened on May 27, 1994, then owned by Station Casinos under the name Station Casino St. Charles. It was one of the first two riverboat casinos in the state, and originally offered 24,500 square feet of gaming space with 52 blackjack and craps tables and 813 video poker machines. Due to regulations of that time, admission fees were charged, and gambling sessions were restricted to two-hour cruises with a $500 maximum loss per session.[3] In late 1994, the casino was moved to a new boat, the Station Casino Belle.