The Ameristar Casino Resort Spa in St. Charles, Missouri, near the Illinois border, has unveiled plans to expand its convention and meeting facilities. Operated by Boyd Gaming, a Las Vegas-based company, officials confirm that the Ameristar St. Charles will increase its event space by approximately 43,000 square feet. Upon completion, the riverboat resort’s convention area will total 65,000 square feet.
Ameristar General Manager Doug Lang informed the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the casino frequently turns down convention business due to insufficient space or limited availability. “This is not a build it and they will come moment,” Lang remarked. “We look at the business we have today as well as the denials and regrets from companies and groups that would like to come to St. Charles but can’t because we don’t have the space they need.”
Lang highlighted that convention space has posed an increasing challenge in the St. Charles-St. Louis area over the past five years. The Ameristar is one of four casinos in the St. Louis Metro area, accompanied by Horseshoe, Hollywood, and River City.
St. Louis, positioned near the meeting point of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, is a major, centrally located US city. Boyd officials believe St. Louis has the potential to be a more prominent convention destination, comparable to Indianapolis, Chicago, and Nashville. The casino company anticipates that more convention space will attract larger events to the city.
St. Louis’s primary convention venue is The St. Louis Convention Center, also known as America’s Center, which offers about 574,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space. Another frequent choice for events is the Family Arena’s 18,000 square feet.
Boyd spokesperson David Strow stated that the Ameristar’s convention expansion will draw new events and attendees to Missouri’s second-most populous city. According to Strow, the influx of travelers will benefit the entire region, including the Ameristar’s casino competitors. “If we can get more people to Ameristar for conventions, then that creates an entire ripple effect that benefits all of St. Charles,” he said.
While Strow did not disclose the cost of the Ameristar St. Charles convention center expansion, he mentioned that it is part of Boyd’s $100 million capital spending initiative, which includes a new casino at the site of its former Jokers Wild Casino near Las Vegas in Henderson.
Conventions play a crucial role in the economy of Las Vegas, keeping the city’s large resort hotels bustling during the week. Convention guests are highly prized, as they tend to outspend leisure guests. With room stays often covered by employers and many receiving per diems, convention visitors in Las Vegas typically have higher expenditures on accommodations, food, and local transportation compared to non-convention travelers. Furthermore, they gamble an average of about $700, close to the nearly $800 gambled by non-convention guests.
Convention business is vital not only to Las Vegas but also to regional gaming markets like St. Louis/St. Charles. Located just under 10 miles from Lambert International, St. Louis’s primary commercial airport and the 34th busiest air hub in the US, the Ameristar’s investment in expanding convention space appears to be a strategic move expected to pay off significantly.
