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Casinos In Louisville Kentucky: Closest One & Map

It’s home to perhaps the world’s greatest gambling spectacle, yet it doesn’t have a casino.

We’re talking about Louisville, Kentucky, the pretty, historic city on the banks of the Ohio River famous for the Louisville Slugger, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a little horse race known as the Kentucky Derby, in which gamblers from across the globe spend part of the first Saturday in May to wager a combined $200 million dollars on “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

Despite being the gambling capital of the world (for one day anyway), Louisville does not have a casino in the traditional sense of a Las Vegas-style resort with a variety of slots, craps, blackjack and other table games. Kentucky is that rare state not to have any commercial or Indian casinos.

There is a modern-looking pseudo-casino called Derby City Gaming (more on that below), along with some Kentucky racetracks that offer what’s called “historical racing machines.”

As such, residents and visitors wanting to visit a casino to get their slot machine, craps or blackjack fix must go across the Ohio River to Indiana, where there is a major casino resort less than 10 miles away from downtown Louisville (as the crow flies).

It’s about a 15 mile drive from downtown Louisville. (More on that later).

(Below you’ll see the drive from downtown Louisville “A” to Caesars Southern Indiana “B”. The brown star represents Derby City Gaming)

Closest Casino to Louisville, KY

Owning a virtual monopoly on the Louisville gaming market, Caesars Southern Indiana Hotel & Casino (formerly the Horseshoe), is the only casino within 50 miles of downtown Louisville, Kentucky.

It sits on the banks of the Ohio River, next to an open field, in a pretty rural setting that is the complete opposite of the Las Vegas Strip and most other casino settings you’re probably used to.

And while it’s just a 15 mile drive from downtown Louisville to Caesars Southern Indiana, it will take you between 20 to 30 minutes to get there, on account of the fact you’ll have to drive over the Sherman Minton Bridge into New Albany, Indiana, before traveling south along Highway 111. (There aren’t any closer bridges).

Caesars Southern Indiana Hotel & Casino

Opened in 1998 as “Caesars Indiana” then later renamed “The Horseshoe” the old casino was the largest riverboat in the United States. Now, however, the new casino is now all on land.

It’s also a beautiful newer property. Opened in December 2019, the $90 million dollar casino has 110,000 square feet.

It’s a Caesars’ Entertainment property, meaning you can use your Caesars Rewards Card here at any one of the 1,100 slot machines/ video poker machines. Unlike the historical racing machines, these are real slot machines, like Wheel of Fortune, Hot Shot progressives, themed-based slots like “The Hangover,” “Willy Wonka,” and the like.

The selection of 70 table games include Blackjack, Let-it-Ride, roulette, Pai-gow, mini-baccarat and something you don’t see in Las Vegas much, craps, with 100x odds! Thanks to legislation, there’s also a plush sportsbook now called “The Book.”

More my speed are the low limit hold’em and no-limit Texas hold’em games found in the 16 table poker room. They also run satellite tournaments for World Series of Poker events.

The new Caesars Events center hosts concerts, magicians and the like and can seat over 1,200 people.

Hotel and Restaurants

The hotel’s 503 rooms were all renovated in the spring of 2017.

In addition, to the spa, shops, bars and lounges and showroom, there are several dining options, ranging from a coffee bar to – on the fancier side – Jack Binion’s Steak. The new Piazza area is home to four fast-casual restaurants.

In addition to the massive 5 level parking garage for casino patrons, guests staying at the hotel have their own large four-story parking structure. Both have indoor walkways to the casino, and parking is free.

Address, Phone and Website

11999 Casino Center Drive Elizabeth, IN. 47117 (866) 676-7463

Website: Caesars.com/Caesars Southern Indiana

Derby City Gaming

Owned by Churchill Downs, Derby City Gaming was built in 2018 and is located on Poplar Level Road in Louisville.

The modern building is infused with Kentucky Derby artifacts and decor, including a rose decorated ceiling. It has 1,000 historical racing machines. These look similar to traditional slots but play different (more on that below). There’s also a very small simulcast racing OTB parlor.

Derby City Gaming’s two restaurants are Lil’Wagners and Railbirds’ Hot Chicken. You have to be 21 years or older to play here, and there is plenty of free parking, with nearly 1,200 spaces.

Other casinos close to Lousiville, KY

At just 15 miles from Louisville, the Horseshoe (black pin on map) doesn’t have much competition. In fact, most of the the next closest casinos are casinos outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Closest among these is the Belterra Casino Resort (green star on map), in Florence, Indiana.

Located just a few miles off of Interstate 71 across the Ohio River, it’s 66 miles northeast of Louisville, and would take you between an hour and an hour and twenty minutes to drive.

(Related: Cincinnati casinos )

The beautiful property includes a 603 room hotel, and a 38,000 square foot riverboat casino featuring 1,200 slot machine/video poker machines, along with all the usual table games. There is now a sports book here as well.

To the northwest, the French Lick Resort (Orange star) in French Lick, Indiana has a 51,000 square foot casino.

It’s just 57 miles away, using the closest route, however because this Highway 150 is mostly just a two lane road, Google maps says it will take you between an hour and ten minutes, to an hour and forty minutes to get there.

Other than a couple of casinos near Cincinnati, the only other casino fairly close to Louisville is the Rising Star Casino (yellow pin on map), at 82 miles away.

Historical Horse Racing Machines

As mentioned above, Kentucky does allow racetracks to offer what’s called “historical horse racing machines,” (also called HRMs or “instant racing machines”).

These are sort of look like video slot machines, but have outcomes based on past horse races – all in a complicated format clearly designed as a legal loophole used to sneak in games that would otherwise be illegal under Kentucky law.

Instead of using a random number generator and playing against the house, the money you insert is part of a pool of money put in by other players.

In addition to the thousand HRM’s at Derby City Gaming, there are currently historical racing machines at Kentucky Downs, Red Mile, Keeneland, and Ellis Park.

By Steve Beauregard. Top photos courtesy of Caesars Entertainment

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No more boat: new land-based casino now open in southern indiana.

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This week, gamblers said goodbye to Horseshoe Southern Indiana's 21-year-old riverboat.

But on Thursday, a new $90 million land-based casino takes its place.

Related Content

• Horseshoe Southern Indiana's riverboat casino closes for good

Caesars Southern Indiana officially opens to the public at 12 p.m.

The new 110,000-square-foot integrated facility combines dining, retail, entertainment and gaming in one space.

It also has a venue for newly-legalized sports betting called "The Book."

At The Book, guests can bet on football, basketball, baseball, hockey and more, and is equipped with 30 large television screens and a combination of wagering windows and kiosks.

Some of the other new amenities of note:

• More slot machines, table games and poker
• Piazza, a new food and dining area, with five restaurants
• Volt Lounge, a new bar and lounge, featuring live entertainment every weekend and craft cocktails
• Juno Bar in the center of the gaming floor has several large flat screen TVs circling the top of the bar
• Laurel Lounge, an exclusive area for Caesars Rewards VIPs, with outdoor balcony
• High Limits gaming areas complimented by a private parlor
• Non-smoking gaming area

Crews have been working the past few days to relocate equipment from the riverboat to the new facility.

The boat set sail just days ago and is in the process of being sold.

The new casino is located at 11999 Casino Center Drive.

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Press Releases

$90 million caesars southern indiana casino now open to the public.

ELIZABETH, Ind. , Dec. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials with Caesars Southern Indiana today celebrated the grand opening of the new $90 million land-based casino – part of the internationally-known Caesars gaming and entertainment brand. The new casino replaces the 21-year-old riverboat casino that operated as Horseshoe Southern Indiana.

After 18 months of construction, guests now have the opportunity to Live, Play and Dine like a Caesar in the 110,000-square-foot integrated facility, combining dining, retail, entertainment and gaming in one multi-faceted space.

Brad Seigel . "We look forward to making each visit memorable with the exceptional service, friendly team members, and thrilling gaming and entertainment that our guests have come to love at our home here in Southern Indiana ."

Relocating from the existing four-story riverboat location, the land-based casino will feature new, modern amenities including:

• Wide variety of real slot machines, table games, poker, and sportsbook
• Piazza, the new food and dining area, with five restaurants offering a variety of culinary options
• Volt Lounge , a new bar and lounge, featuring live entertainment each weekend and craft cocktails
• Laurel Lounge , an exclusive area for Caesars Rewards VIPs, with outdoor balcony
• High Limits gaming areas complimented by a private parlor
• Non-smoking gaming area

The on-site sports betting venue called "The Book" is also now open in its permanent location in the casino, allowing guests to bet on a variety of sports, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey and many more. The Book is open Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to midnight and on weekends from 10 a.m. to midnight . The facility will be equipped with 30 large television screens and a combination of wagering windows and kiosks, along with a full staff to assist guests.

In addition to the spacious new one-story casino as well as the gaming and entertainment upgrades, guests can expect to "Dine Like a Caesar" at Piazza, the new food and dining area with five restaurants. A wide variety of culinary options will be available, including, pizza, Mexican and Asian restaurants sharing space with a 24-hour restaurant serving burgers and other fare, and a homestyle restaurant serving fried chicken, barbecue ribs and other dishes.

Caesars Southern Indiana has also completed renovations to meeting and convention spaces to accommodate larger groups with updated meeting, conference and convention amenities.

Juno Bar , and Spears & Spirits , as well as headliner entertainment. Caesars Southern Indiana offers a wide variety of dining options with seven eateries including the award-winning Jack Binions Steak. Caesars Southern Indiana is operated by a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR). For more information, please visit Caesars Southern Indiana. Find Caesars Southern Indiana on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram.

*For photos click here *

SOURCE Caesars Entertainment

Lauren Burdette. 502.435.6684, [email protected]

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Caesars Southern Indiana

Nation | Tribe - Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

CAESARS SOUTHERN INDIANA

11999 Casino Center Drive Elizabeth, IN 47117

(866) 676-7463

Caesars Southern Indiana is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. The casino is a state-licensed, commercial casino located in Elizabeth,Indiana directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY.

Caesars Southern Indiana is a $90-million land casino that replaced the former Horseshoe riverboat casino in December 2019. The 93,000-square-foot casino features 1,136 slots, 87 table games, a poker room and a sportsbook.

Caesar's predecessor, the Horseshoe Southern Indiana, was a riverboat casino on the Ohio River for more than 21 years,. It opened on Nov. 20, 1998 and operated till the end of 2019. When Caesars opened, the riverboat was sold and removed.

Caesars Entertainment acquired Horseshoe Southern Indiana in July 2018. In April 2018 the Caesars announced plans to replace the riverboat with a land casino named Caesars Southern Indiana to open in December 2019.

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

In December 2020 Caesars Southern Indiana was sold to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. After eight months of state processing, the deal was finalized in September 2021. The Indiana Gaming Commission had forced the sale of the casino as a condition to signing off on Caesars' takeover of Eldorado Resorts in July 2020.

Although owned by an American Indian tribe, Caesars Southern Indiana is not an Indian gaming casino regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission. Instead, the casino is a licensed as a commercial casino operating under state regulations.

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Features of Caesars Southern Indiana

Open 24 hours daily 93,000 square-foot gaming floor Non-smoking gaming area

1,136 slot machines

87 table games include Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Mini Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, 21 +3, High Card Flush

Poker Room - 30 tables High-limit tables - 100X odds on craps & blackjack $50,000 limit High-limit slots - $1 to $500

Restaurants and Bars

Gordon Ramsay Steak - Chef Ramsay�s signature steakhouse

Aroma Cafe & Bar - Quick bites, full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Piazza - pizza, burgers, quick bites

Convention Center

24,000-square-foot Conference Center Call: 855-633-8238

From Louisville

• Take I-64 west of Louisville to exit 123 in New Albany, Indiana.
• Turn right at the bottom of the ramp.
• Pass through 2 stop lights. At the stop sign turn right (south) on Main Street (Indiana State Road 111).
• Indiana SR 111 will split into a "Y." At the split, bear left and proceed across the railroad crossing. Horseshoe is approximately 8 miles ahead.

From Indianapolis

• Take I-65 south to I-265 West. I-265 will end at I-64.
• Follow I-64 East to exit 123 in New Albany, Indiana.

News Articles

Caesars southern indiana celebrates 25th anniversary.

December 9, 2023

Caesars Southern Indiana celebrated its 25th anniversary since opening as a riverboat casino on Nov. 20, 1998. Over the years the casino has received over 50 million visitors and paid out almost $3 billion in jackpots.

Caesars Southern Indiana celebrates 25th anniversary giving guests chances at free money - Courtesy of WAVE News - Louisville, KY , Nov 29, 2023. Available from YouTube

"We are proud to be celebrating 25 years in business at Caesars Southern Indiana. We're looking forward to celebrating with our guests all month long concluding with a 2.5 million giveaway in reward credits at the end of November." - Brad Seigel, General Manager

For its first 21 years, Caesars casino operated on the Glory of Rome riverboat, until it was replaced with today's land-based casino in 2019. In September 2021 Caesars Entertainment sold Caesars Southern Indiana to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. ( See news story )

Caesars Southern Indiana is now owned by NC Cherokee

September 11, 2021

The $250 million deal by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) to buy Caesars Southern Indiana has officially closed. The casino will continue with the Caesar's name brand and continue with the same employees.

After closing last week, the EBCI released this statement:

"Today marks a significant milestone, not only for the tribe, but also for our longstanding relationship with Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment has been a great partner for us in North Carolina, and we're excited to continue that success in Indiana." - Principal Chief Richard Sneed

Caesars and the EBCI have been casino partners since 1997, when Caesars began managing the tribe's Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina. The partnership expanded in 2015 with the opening of Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Hotel & Casino in Murphy, NC.

For additional information see these previous articles:

Indiana approves Cherokee (EBCI) purchase of Caesars

August 23, 2021

The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) last week approved the $250 million sale of Caesars Southern Indiana to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The deal was originally announced last December and is expected to close next month.

Under Cherokee ownership the casino will keep its Caesars Southern Indiana name and its Caesar branding of the sportbook and rewards club. In addion, all casino and hotel employees will continue with their employment.

Caesars Southern Indiana currently has 1,136 slot machines, 87 table games, a 30-table poker room, a sportsbook, three restaurants, a 503-room hotel and a conference center.

The purchase transaction is through EBCI Holdings, a subsidiary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) that pursues commercial acquisitions for the tribe amid new casino competition in North Carolina coming soon from Kings Mountain, NC ( Two Kings Casino ) and Bristol, VA ( Hard Rock Casino ).

Caesars Entertainment manages two Cherokee casinos in North Carolina: Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC, and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Hotel & Casino in Murphy, NC. The business relationship between the two goes back to 1997 when the first Cherokee casino opened.

The last step before closing the sale is the completion of the finance package. The tribe is borrowing $160 million from Wells Fargo and paying cash for the balance. The purchase should be finalized sometime in September.

Horseshoe Southern Indiana breaks ground on $85 land expansion

June 04, 2018

Ground had been broken on the new expansion project at the Caesar Entertainment's Horseshoe Southern Indiana casino. The project will cost $85 million to complete.

On Wednesday an announcement was made by the casino's General Manager Brad Seigal that project will result in a better experience for guests. The ceremony for the ground breaking was held along the Ohio River. Across from Louisville, Kentucky.

Construction is ready to start. Between 50 and 100 jobs will be created from the project.

During construction there will be a new location for valet pick up and drop off. Valet service will be free to guests and offered around the clock daily.

Horseshoe Southern Indiana is located at the Harrison County line. It is the closest casino to the large Southern Indiana cities and to Louisville. It is the largest riverboat casino in the world. The riverboat complex also offers an entertainment venue, 7 restaurants, a pavilion, a golf course, and a parking garage. When it was built it cost $50 million.

The riverboat casino has 1,650 slot machines in operation. Guests can play both poker and video poker. There is also Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Mini Baccarat.

In 2015 a law was approved that would allow for riverboat casinos to move onto land. However, the casinos must stay within their current footprint.

The project will be 100,000 square feet when finished. Plans include space for dining, shopping, entertainment, and gaming. It should take 18 months to complete. The building will be a single level.

While construction is going on, the current location will remain open to guests.

Horseshoe Casino will replace riverboat with $85M land casino

April 26, 2018

An expansion project has been planned for a casino in the southern section of Indiana. Plans were recently revealed for the Horseshoe Southern Indiana. The casino will be moving from the riverboat located on the water to the new location on land.

Riverboats began to receive approval to move gaming operations on land in 2015. The condition was given as long as the land based casino stayed within the current footprint. In January the plan was approved by the Harrison County plan commission. The proposed expansion plan was given approval by the Indiana Gaming Commission when they met on April 24.

In addition to the new casino space, other plans include dining and shopping options. It will be contained in a building that is 100,000 square feet.

To give guests an easier way for access, the new facility will be built in between the parking garage structure and the current casino building.

The riverboat will be sold once the new building is completed.

The cost to complete the expansion project is estimated to be $85 million. The final completion date has not been released. However, the casino is planning for some time late in 2019.

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Casino boat downriver from Louisville turns 20 this month: A look back

Two decades ago, a Las Vegas company bet a small fortune — $300 million — that a riverboat casino downriver from Louisville could strike a gusher of cash.

Now, as the former Caesars riverboat marks its 20th anniversary, there's little question among community leaders, casino executives and industry analysts that the bet has paid off in spades, not only for the global gaming company but for a once cash-starved Indiana county. 

Even as new competition in Louisville threatens to slice the casino's take and a mature gambling market means less money flowing to Indiana tax coffers and two charitable foundations, nobody argues that Horseshoe Southern Indiana hasn't delivered the kind of economic development jolt that Hoosier lawmakers envisioned when they legalized casinos 25 years ago.

Check this out: Churchill Downs' new racing machines are cutting slots win at Horseshoe

"You'd have to be sitting at the back of a really long bus not to see all the things the casino has done for Harrison County," county commissioner Kenny Saulman said. 

The numbers are staggering. From its opening on Nov. 20, 1998, through last month, the riverboat now known as Horseshoe Southern Indiana has won more than $5.2 billion from gamblers.

The complex about 14 miles downriver from Louisville also has generated more than $1.1 billion in state gaming and admissions taxes. About $474 million of it has flowed to Harrison County, which also received another $181 million in profit sharing. 

Voters in Harrison, population 39,300, approved a required referendum to allow a casino to anchor along its shoreline, seizing the opportunity when voters in neighboring Floyd and Clark counties rejected the chance.

Both counties would have been put ahead of Harrison for a gaming license because regulators favored a site closest to Louisville, the new boat's core market.

Beyond transforming a mostly rural Hoosier county, the boat's arrival is universally seen as a catalyst for Churchill Downs modernizing its property and competing harder to lure back thousands of patrons who've beat a path to the boat, open for business year-round and nearly 24-7.

Churchill executives a decade ago credited the casino for forcing it to freshen its century-old track and add new amenities after seeing its attendance and on-track wagering decline 20 percent. It sank $121 million into an initial renovation and subsequently has plowed millions more into major investments, in large part to stave off the casino competition.

Previously: Horseshoe Southern Indiana reopening hotel and spa as Ohio River recedes

Churchill fired back in a big way this fall, opening its $65 million Derby City Gaming , with 900 "historical racing machines" that feel just like slots. Its first full month of business in October dealt Horseshoe a $2 million drop in slots revenue.

Casino execs recognize such an incursion now can't go unchecked. Horseshoe is banking on a $85 million land-based facility opening late next year to solidify and grow its customer base.

The switch should help increase gross revenues, the same way such moves have paid off elsewhere, said Ed Feigenbaum, editor of Hannah News Service's newsletters on Hoosier gambling and legislation.

"It just makes things easier for the property ... (and) people really seem to prefer the convenience of not having to board a boat," he said. 

Not all fun and games at the boat 

New competition in Indianapolis and rural French Lick, Indiana , during the last decade has cannibalized Horseshoe's annual revenues. But nothing's been harsher than the general downturn in the U.S. gambling market.

While the economy has rebounded, paychecks and discretionary cash for many people haven't kept pace, said Brad Seigel, Horseshoe's general manager.

The casino reported $253 million in revenues last year, far short of its historical high of $341 million in 2007. With more gambling expansion in the region, Horseshoe can't expect to regain the heights of old, Seigel said. "After 20 years, you'd call it a mature market." 

Even with reduced revenues, the cash flowing to Harrison government and two community foundations has been huge, said state Rep. Karen Engleman, a Republican from New Salisbury, Indiana, and a former county auditor. 

The cash to local government, about $26 million during the recent fiscal year, has gone to a countywide sewer system, miles of new water lines and even more miles of gravel roads now paved with asphalt. A new Boys & Girls Club facility recently opened, too.

"There's been a lot of good done with the money," Engleman said. "They've spent here and set aside in other places. They've not just blown it all."

Judge:  'Instant-racing' machines don't violate state gambling laws

Harrison's community foundation, which received a record $16 million in revenue sharing contributions a decade ago, now gets about $8 million, said CEO Steve Gilliland.

The foundation has awarded $92 million in grants to fund college scholarships for nearly 2,000 high school students and adults and to pay for preschool for nearly 600 low-income 4-year-olds. It's given $13 million toward a new county hospital and an array of other projects.

The investment that Saulman, the county commissioner, and other boosters highlight is a $5 million investment in a fiber backbone that's now extending high-speed internet access to all 12 townships in the county.

In nearby Floyd County, a smaller Horseshoe Foundation has received nearly $60 million in boat cash and awarded $44 million in scholarships. With an emphasis on human services, a big chunk has gone to support soup kitchens, clothes closets and backpacks for low-income students.

Its signature investment is a $20 million commitment to the YMCA in New Albany, said executive director Jerry Finn.

The Y project has triggered a wave of investment in the city's downtown. New restaurants, boutiques and other shops have sprung up in the last 10 years. "That would not have happened had that Y not been built," Finn said.

Taking the good with the bad

Not everyone is a fan. Anti-gambling opponents had warned any gaming venue was bound to attract seedy elements, and some surfaced in unexpected ways. Take the adult bookstore that opened in 2004 on New Albany's West Main Street, a location the owners liked for the heavy traffic headed to the casino.

The city spent six years and more than $500,000 in legal fees in a futile battle to shut the place down before the business lost its lease and pulled out in early 2014.  

There have been arrests of drug dealers accused of laundering $3 million, cheaters, and parents who've left kids in vehicles while they gambled. Police arrested a Virginia woman in the summer of 2000 after she left six children inside an SUV while visiting the slots.

Some 675 people have requested self-exclusion, banning themselves from entry so they can't lose more of their money.

One of the biggest challenges for the boat has been the mighty Ohio River, which has flooded the casino's boarding facility and swamped Indiana State Highway 111. When the road floods, according to the casino's safety plan, the whole place shuts down.

That has cost tens of millions of dollars in lost wagering, and having a land-based venue won't change that because boat or no boat, the road will still occasionally flood. But other casinos have weathered bridge shutdowns, heavy snow and ice and their own floods, Feigenbaum said, so "you're a prisoner of your site. That can be good and bad."

The bigger challenge ahead for Horseshoe and other casinos is staying relevant as demographics shift. As baby boomers who love slots give way to millennials and younger customers, gaming operators will need to offer more interactive, collaborative experiences.

"They've got to be able to capture that next generation," Feigenbaum said. "That's going to be critical for the casinos of the future."

Grace Schneider: 502-582-4082; [email protected]; Twitter: @gesinfk . Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/graces .