Ahhhh the smell of a new casino. It is like no other smell in the world.

For those of us who like to go out and explore new casinos, Harrah’s Council Bluffs has just the place.

In case you didn’t already know, Harrah’s Council Bluffs is in the process of moving from their old riverboat casino to a new modern land-based casino.  The good people at Harrah’s was nice enough to give me an inside tour of their progress and what is to come when the new casino opens to the public June 8.

“Harrah’s has operated the riverboat for 17 years and the vessel required a lot of upkeep”, said Stephanie Chandler, a Promotions and Events Specialist at Harrah’s. “People were asking for an upgrade and we responded”.

Harrah’s didn’t require a new building for the casino. They used what formally was their convention hall and meeting/event rooms. The renovation project totaled around $10 million.

The new 25,000 square foot casino will put everything on one floor and include many more slot machines, video poker, and table games.

Some of the familiar machines and games will make it over from the riverboat and will be added with some new games.

Harrah’s completely closed the riverboat casino at 4 a.m. June 3.  They will open the new casino at noon on June 8 with free gifts and drawings to celebrate the opening.

During my visit crews were putting the finishing touches on getting the casino ready.

“Everything is progressing as scheduled and we expect to open on time”, said Chandler.

As for the old riverboat, officially named the Kanesville Queen, it is planned to be sold for scrap.

If you have a chance to come out and see the new Harrah’s casino June 8, you won’t be disappointed.

Special thanks to Katie Manganaro, VP of Marketing at Harrah’s and Horseshoe Council Bluffs for making the arrangements for my visit.

See more information about Harrah’s Council Bluffs.