RECREATION
Floating casinos and entertainment venues reinvent waterfront leisure
Borderless gaming and shows now ride on water, merging novelty with strategic regulation
The Horseshoe Casino. Image by Dan Carden, The Times
Floating casinos—gambling and entertainment venues on water—blend leisure and innovation. Once driven by legal constraints, they’re now evolving for entertainment value and urban activation, even as many are shifting ashore.
Here are today’s leading developments:
Macau Palace at Ponte 16 advances plans:
In late 2024, Macau’s Ponte 16 secured government approval to develop the “Macau Palace,” a floating casino on a 2,084 m² platform in the Inner Harbor. The project is part of a larger waterfront revitalization and marks a major nod to floating entertainment in Asia.The world’s largest floating casino:
Pepper built the biggest floating casino in the U.S. for Caesars in Indiana. In preparation for building the 350,000 sq foot Horseshoe Casino, they joined six barges to hold the casino, dug the marina deeper, and even made a new beach.Riverboat gaming returns in Rome, GA:
As of May 2025, the “Queen of the Coosa” project is planning a multi-level, paddlewheel-style riverboat casino docked permanently downtown. It will combine gaming, dining, live entertainment, and event spaces to boost tourism and local revenue.Dynamic facade enhances Kansas City scene:
In 2024, Kansas City wrapped its existing floating casino in a programmable LED facade (300 ft × 65 ft) that changes color for holidays, team wins, and civic moments, enhancing visual tie-ins to local identity.
Image by Matthew Anderson Photography
And that’s not all: the U.S. is seeing an exodus from water—Illinois, for instance, is closing its Joliet riverboat casino in 2025 to replace it with a land-based venue. Similarly, other regions are shifting to land, citing cost, safety, and zoning clarity.
It’s clear: floating casinos are no longer only about law—now it’s about innovation and ambiance. With governments still updating gaming rules and public appetite for unique leisure experiences rising, waterfront casinos may continue to evolve—floating, shore-based, or both.
—TFI
The Floating Institute is all about advancing knowledge of the global floating economy.