Riverside Casino Ready to Face the Public

95 percent of the new casino work is complete. The casino will be finished on time and is set for the grand opening on August 31 casino officials reiterated.

Joe Massa, general manager of Riverside Casino and Golf Resort said, "We have a lot going on here, but we are going to meet our opening schedule." Riveraide Casino and Golf Resort is located about 15 miles south of Iowa City.

The construction took about a year. The grand opening will be at 9 p.m. on August 31 and will be open to the public. A private party will held there earlier in the day, where the opening announcement will be made. About 700 investors and others involved in the casino's development will attend the party.

Massa mentioned that the comedian Tom Arnold, an Iowa native, will perform on the night of the opening and after two weeks of the grand opening, Jay Leno will have an appearance.

The airing of commercials will begin today in Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities and Des Moines. Along with the commercials there will be a print advertising campaign starting this weekend.

Massa's expectations includes about 75 percent of the casino's visitors will be coming from within an hour's drive.

Some final touches are necessary before the opening. However, the gaming floor is almost complete, with nearly 1,200 slot machines ready for customers. 24 table games and a 14 table poker room are also available.

850 employees will begin the orientation for the casino today.