Amelia Belle Riverboat Casino

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Amelia, Louisiana – the state that is famously a home of hospitality, jazz and Mardi Gras, then you will also have a rare chance to find yourself experiencing the party first-hand in a darling ole’ riverboat steamer that is docked. Here’s the Amelia Belle Riverboat Casino! And unlike the poor old Casino Royale, this one’s still afloat!

Why wouldn’t the famous bayous be just the spot for a flight of fancy? Here, steeped in good vibes, you can feel some of the warmth and high times that this state is famous for, all while you making a buck in the casino that offers a lot of action 24 hours a day. Unless, of course you have come to the conclusion that online roulette is more random than land-based, in which case you’ll probably just stay in your pyjamas and play at home

This is a casino that doesn’t hold back on looks. It’s a brash, bright and busy place where looking at the carpet for too long might just give you a brain freeze!

There’s a good time on the menu for you, if you’re a fan of slot games, with two whole floors of this tiered bonny boat given over to making you a buck on 800 plus machines- now that’s enough to make sure that there are the latest games and some of those classics that you come back to, time and again.

If you’re taste runs to table games then you’ll be pretty happy with the selection here with all the major games catered for including roulette, blackjack, craps, Texas Hold’em and Mississippi Stud. The decor kind of reminds me of the Golden Nugget roulette tables in Downtown Las Vegas.

A word of warning though, while the table games offer the full gamut of games, there are only 15 play tables, which is no problem during the week, but if you’re hitting this joint at the weekend you may find that you need to queue to get a place at your favourite game, admittedly I’m not a good queuer!

If you’re planning to make a day or a night of it, then you’ll be happy to hear that there are two places to eat so you can take your pick.

First up there’s the Cajun Buffet- this is an ever popular all-you-can eat spot with all the local delicacies you’d expect on the bayou including crab. There are different deals with different prices, for example the Saturday night special is $9.99 and includes lots of seafood including gumbo (drinks and taxes aren’t included). Keep your eyes peeled for some of the rather more unusual aspects of the décor- the random stuffed gators!

There’s also the Bayou Café which is really more a place to pick up a quick snack, think more hot dogs and pizza than haute cuisine.

To be honest the feedback on the food is pretty mixed but if you’re into shellfish you can’t go too wrong.

A river boat casino isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time, but the bayou is such an iconic part of Louisiana culture and history that a visit to a riverboat casino is kind of a must if you’re visiting this part of the world. I’d say that this is a neat spot for a mid-week game of roulette or craps but if you’re planning a visit at peak times you’d be better off trying your hand at the slot games as there are no shortage of these.