Located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Horseshoe Casino offers a diverse array of gaming options and amenities, drawing visitors with its promise of excitement. However, recent guest experiences paint a picture of varying quality, with strong positives in some areas contrasted by significant negatives in others.
🎲 Gaming Experience
The casino boasts a wide selection of gaming, catering to different preferences:
- Slots & Keno: Many visitors appreciate the "variety of slots and keno" available. However, a long-time patron expressed disappointment over the replacement of classic "3 reel quarter slots" with penny slots, urging for the return of older favorites like the "Lucky dog slot machine" and more quarter slot variety.
- Table Games & Poker: The live poker room receives high praise, with one reviewer having a "great time" and highlighting the perk of free drinks in the poker room. Beyond poker, the casino offers popular table games such as roulette and blackjack.
🤝 Staff & Service Quality
Customer service at Horseshoe Council Bluffs appears to be a notable point of contention, demonstrating a stark contrast between exemplary and problematic interactions:
- Positive Encounters: Several guests reported interactions with "nice, and polite staff," with one specifically commending a bartender named Nica/Mica for being "absolutely professional." A poker dealer named Otoniel was also lauded as "super cool" and fun. General sentiment from some is that "Every employee is friendly."
- Negative Encounters: Conversely, other experiences were less favorable. One guest recounted an incident with a "rude" bartender enforcing "some weird rule about waiting 20 minutes for a drink," causing widespread customer dissatisfaction. Another bartender was criticized for ignoring a guest and then giving an "attitude." The security team also faced strong criticism for "absolutely pathetic customer service," particularly concerning misleading information about their RV park.
🍴 Amenities & Facilities
Beyond the gaming floor, Horseshoe Council Bluffs offers additional services and facilities:
- Dining: The casino features a steakhouse, which one reviewer noted "looked the part," suggesting a formal and appealing dining option. Various other "options for foods" are also available.
- RV Park & Parking: While the website indicated an RV park was "now open" with hook-ups, a customer experienced a frustrating encounter with security who insisted the lot was closed and threatened to unplug their working electricity, without providing a clear reason. This suggests a disconnect between online information and on-site policy, alongside poor communication from security. Furthermore, trucks are subject to a $15 parking fee.
- Restrooms: Guests have found the restrooms to be "clean" and well-maintained.
💨 Atmosphere & Environment
The general atmosphere is described as "happy and fun" by some, with patrons having "great pleasures with friends." However, the air quality due to smoking is a recurring concern. While one guest noted it "used to be not so bad," they now find it "a little too smokey lately."
📝 Conclusion
Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino presents a varied experience. Its strengths lie in its diverse gaming offerings, especially the live poker room with its complimentary drinks, and generally friendly staff whom many patrons appreciate. The availability of a steakhouse and clean restrooms also contribute positively. However, the casino faces challenges with inconsistencies in staff professionalism, particularly among some bartenders and security personnel, and issues regarding its RV parking facilities. The increasing smoke level also detracts from the experience for some. For those seeking a lively casino experience with a good range of games, it might be a suitable destination, but visitors should be prepared for potential inconsistencies in service and amenities.
I've been coming here since I turned 21. Was always my favorite casino. I love the old 3 reel quarter slots. They have been replaced with penny slots now. Please bring back the Lucky dog slot machine and more variety of quarter slot machines. Maybe time to find a new favorite casino..
Played live poker here had a great time. Drinks were free in the poker room which is the best part. Trucks must pay $15 to park. They have a steak house that looked the part. They also have roulette, BJ and other table games. The bar tender Nica/Mica was absolutely professional not like the other bar tenders. One bar tender white lady missing a tooth was rude to almost all the customers, she was enforcing some weird rule about waiting 20 minutes for a drink. I guess she is not the shot caller at home. The customers all looked unhappy and i over heard them saying they wouldn’t return🤷🏻♀️. Another bar tender a black lady with long braids ignored me and when she attended me then gave me an attitude not sure why. In the other hand Otoniel a dealer was super cool he took my money but he was really fun. In all nice place with a couple of rotten apples. ❤️ oh and in the 7 hours I was there no one hit a jack pot 🤷🏻♀️ just saying.
Absolutely pathetic customer service by security. The Website said their RV Park is now open which is just a parking lot with RV hook-ups. I was well aware of the accommodations and fine with that since I'm just there to gamble, drink, and eat. Anyway, I parked and plugged into the electricity. I then went to Check-in with security as the website says to do. The 20 something security guard stated the RV parking lot is closed and there isn't electricity. I explained that I was parked in that lot and I was already plugged into electricity and it was working. I was then told by another security guard that they would just go un-plug me. They wouldn't give me a reason why the lot was closed even though there was a semi tractor parked in it. Maybe that driver of that rig didn't check-in with Security and didn't have to deal with their arrogance.
I had my great pleasures with my friends here. The restroom was clean, nice, and polite staff. Everyone was happy and fun. Many options for foods, games, We will be back.
Enjoy the variety of slots and keno. Every employee is friendly. A little too smokey lately, used to be not so bad.