River City Casino & Hotel

Games at River City Casino & Hotel

River City Casino and Hotel is a full-service location with all the glitz and glamor you’d expect from a high-class luxury resort. It’s located within St. Louis city limits and offers an experience worthy of one of America’s larger cities.

Slot machines

There are roughly 1,900 slots at River City Casino. The exact number varies from month to month and sometimes slips below that mark, but there is never a shortage of real money slot options. You’ll find traditional reels, video slots, and other multimedia options that can make playing a slot at River City a multi-sense experience.

The overwhelming majority of the games — over three-quarters — are penny slots. However, be aware that many “penny slots” actually have higher minimums (20 cents, 40 cents, etc.). Meanwhile, there are more than 100 slot machines at River City with per-spin denominations of $1 or greater. It is possible to play on machines for as much as $25 per spin. Top slots include the following:

• Buffalo Diamond
• Dragon Link
• Hexbreaker 3
• Lightning Link
• Lock It Link
• Jin Ji Bao XI
• Mighty Cash
• Ultimately Fire Link

Also, keep an eye out for more than 250 video poker machines as well as numerous electronic table games scattered throughout the casino floor.

Table games

Along with the many slot machines at River City, you will find more than 40 table games. In particular, this includes eight baccarat tables available in a room dedicated solely to the game. If you are a baccarat player in Missouri, River City Casino is one of the places to be.

However, there are many other table games to try. Here are some of the options you’ll likely find:

• Blackjack (and variants)
• Bonus Craps
• Cajun Stud
• Craps No More
• DJ Wild (stud poker)
• EZ Baccarat
• Heads Up Hold’em
• Mini Baccarat
• Roulette
• Three Card Poker

If you have a favorite table game you want to play, it might be a good idea to call ahead to make sure the casino has it. Also, be sure to confirm the betting minimums for your game. After all, it does no good to show up for a Heads Up Hold’em table if you are a $10 player and the table minimum is $25.

Enjoy free games at MyChoice Casino

If you do not believe that you can make it to River City any time soon, you can still try many of the games on the myChoice Casino app. This social casino lets you experience something similar to a reputable online casino, but without the risk. The games are free to play, and there are many titles available.

Unfortunately, myChoice does not come with any tie-in to the casino itself. In other words, it is not possible to accrue any benefits for your play on myChoice. The only way to get any tangible benefit is through the purchase of coins on your app, and you cannot redeem these coins for cash.

Will a sportsbook come to River City Casino & Hotel?

If Missouri legalizes sports betting, it is likely that River City Casino will add a sportsbook. Its owner, Penn National Gaming, has the retail and online Barstool Sportsbook at the ready, and it has already gathered operational experience in several other states.

The casino’s size and proximity to St. Louis make it a natural choice for a retail sportsbook. In fact, it would likely become the go-to location for residents in southern St. Louis and the surrounding area.

The problem, of course, is that Missouri hasn’t legalized sports betting yet. However, lawmakers have become increasingly energized by the possibility, which increases the likelihood of a Missouri sports betting bill eventually making its way up the legislative ladder. If that happens, expect River City Casino Hotel to be among the Missouri casinos to take part.

River City Casino Hotel amenities

Not everyone who visits River City Casino & Hotel wants to gamble, and nobody wants to gamble all the time. It’s good to know what amenities you have available when you’re not betting.

The first thing to know about River City is that it is one of the most visually appealing casinos in Missouri. The casino’s 1904 World’s Fair theme is influential throughout, with ornate chandeliers overhanging the casino floor, period-accurate wall coverings, and a definitive old-school vibe. You’d almost expect everyone to be wearing high collars and waistcoats while they play.

The hotel is picturesque as well and affords excellent views of the Mississippi from many rooms. The hotel is a past recipient of the AAA Four Diamond Award, the second-highest award that the organization issues to hotels with “upscale style and amenities with the right touch of service.” There are five room types available, with the luxury patio rooms offering an easy, relaxing area outside and the director suites providing three rooms for resting or recharging.

When you get hungry at River City, there’s no need to seek food elsewhere. The property features five restaurants with a variety of cuisines:

• 1904 Steak House
• The Beerhouse
• Cibare Barista
• Burger Brothers
• Asia Noodles

The highest-end option is the 1904 Steak House, with juicy steaks and succulent seafood available.

You can also grab a drink or a fun musical act at Judy’s Velvet Lounge. The location is a hot spot for smaller music acts or a relaxing time. If you want to see a big-name performer, head over to the Event Center, a venue that hosts everything from mixed martial arts to stand-up comedians.

MyChoice Rewards program

Like any casino resort affiliated with a major company, River City is part of a rewards program, in this case, Penn National Gaming’s myChoice Rewards.

With myChoice Rewards, you receive two types of credit when you complete a host of transactions. This includes wagering at River City, eating at select restaurants, or making purchases at designated retail locations.

The first currency you can receive is tier credits. These dictate your rank within the rewards program, which in turn influences the perks you can receive. Depending on your tier, you can receive discounts or complimentary meals, discounted or complimentary hotel stays, free or VIP parking, travel reimbursements for trips to Penn National casinos, cruise tickets or even a one-year lease on a Mercedes. The myChoice tier system is as follows:

• Choice — up to 999 tier credits
• Advantage — 1,000 to 17,999 tier credits
• Preferred — 18,000 to 49,999 tier credits
• Elite — 50,000 to 199,999 tier credits
• Owners Club — 200,000 tier credits or more

You can receive a single tier credit for wagering as little as $5, depending on the type of game you’re playing. Lower variance games, like table games, earn credits at much slower rates, so keep that in mind.

The other type of credit that you can accrue for your play at a Penn National casino like River City is mycash. This is basically site credit that works at Penn National locations. You can use it for buying food, hotel stays and some retail items. In some cases, based upon your tier level, you can even redeem mycash for free slot spins.

Like tier credits, you accrue mycash through qualifying wagers and purchases at River City Casino or at other Penn National locations and select partners. The actual amount varies based upon the exact game that you are playing.

History of River City Casino & Hotel

River City Casino & Hotel is a relatively new casino location in the St. Louis area. It opened its doors for business in Lemay, a suburb of St. Louis, in March 2010.

From the beginning, River City employed its distinct 1904 World’s Fair aesthetic. The initial incarnation of the property did not contain a hotel, but construction costs still ran close to $400 million. The decor has been popular since day one, with local magazines lauding the casino as the area’s best in its inaugural year.

The resort’s original owner, Pinnacle Entertainment, pledged to spend an additional $75 million to complete the hotel within three years of its debut. The hotel opened in August 2013, two months after construction ended on the 14,000-square-foot Event Center and three months prior to workers putting the final touches on the parking garage. River City has remained one of the most popular casinos in the area ever since.

In 2016, Pinnacle sold the property to Penn National and leased it back. The move preceded Penn National’s eventual purchase of Pinnacle by only two years. As of October 2018, Penn National fully owns and operates River City.

That was also the year that River City elected to close its poker room and reopen the space as an Asian games area, focusing on baccarat. The move made River City the only St. Louis-area casino (aside from the Argosy Alton just over the border in Illinois) without a poker room. So far, it hasn’t seemed to bother the property’s success.