The Ameristar Casino & Sportsbook Review
Updated September 29, 2026
Updated September 29, 2026
The Hoosier State of Indiana entered the gambling industry in 1988 with the formation of the Hoosier Lottery. The state lottery co-founded the Powerball game in 1992.
But it wasn’t until 1993 when gambling took off in Indiana. The state government allowed businesses to propose casinos in different parts of the state. The move was designed to revitalize the Gary area in the northwestern part of Indiana.
The Ameristar Casino East Chicago was one of the first casinos in the state. It was formed in 1997 in East Chicago, a town northwest of Gary near the Chicago Skyway toll road heading into Illinois and the city of Chicago.
Ameristar opened under the Showboat Mardi Gras Casino name and was bought by Harrah’s in 1998. It was then sold to Resorts a few years later and then to Ameristar, which was acquired by Pinnacle Entertainment and eventually the Penn National Gaming group in 2018.
Ameristar is a waterfront hotel and casino property at Indiana Harbor on Lake Michigan. The casino is inside the Win Star ship at the harbor and connects to a land hotel with nearly three hundred rooms.
Ameristar features hundreds of gaming machines and table games around nearly 56,000 square feet of gaming space. Ameristar also features a sportsbook that offers wagering on various sporting markets. The Ameristar sportsbook opened its doors in September 2019, shortly after sports betting became legal in Indiana.
Ameristar is a member of the MyChoice network run by Penn National Gaming. The MyChoice system features a reward program available for regular players.
The odds are you’ll find a game to your liking at the Ameristar East Chicago Casino. The venue provides games for players of all interests and bankrolls.
Ameristar features more than 1,700 slot and video poker machines. These include games with denominations from one penny to $100 per spin.
The slots at Ameristar include an assortment of three and five-reel games. You can find games like 88 Fortunes, Tarzan, Dragon Link, and Buffalo Gold at the casino. You can also play Wonder 4 Tower, a game where you can play on up to four five-reel games at once.
You will also find more than seventy table games at the Ameristar East Chicago Casino. You can play games like these:
Many of the games have table minimums of $10 per round. You can wager up to $25,000 on baccarat or $10,000 on some of the other table games. You might need to ask a member of the table games team about any high-value bets you wish to place.
You can also enjoy exciting side bets at many table games. Some of the side bets include:
You can play games in the Baccarat Room at Ameristar. The room features nineteen baccarat tables and two Pai Gow tile tables. Players can wager as little as $10 on a hand. The maximum bet total is $25,000. The Dragon Bonus is available on most tables.
The Ameristar Sportsbook is inside the Pavilion section of the casino near the Stadium Sports Bar. The five wagering terminals are open seven days a week, plus there are twelve automated kiosks available twenty-four hours a day.
This Indiana sportsbook is surrounded by several big-screen monitors showing the latest sports action from around the world. You’ll also find plenty of screens displaying the latest odds on all upcoming events. Ameristar provides all the latest games on local networks like NBC Sports Chicago and the Marquee Sports Network. You can also see games through all the major subscription packages, including NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, and Fox Soccer Plus.
Ameristar receives its odds and lines from the DraftKings Sportsbook. DraftKings provides its odds and betting choices to casinos throughout the United States.
The sportsbook teller windows are open from 10 am to 10 pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and 9 am to 11 pm on Fridays to Sundays. You’ll have enough time to get your bets ready and to cash in your winnings, but the automated kiosks are also available if necessary.
You can place wagers on various sports, including:
You can place bets on various professional and collegiate sports events throughout Indiana or in Chicago. Whether you’re a fan of the Colts, Bears, White Sox, Cubs, Bulls, Pacers, or Blackhawks, you’ll find something worth wagering.
There are no esports bets available at Ameristar, as Indiana state law prohibits wagering on esports events. It is also illegal to place bets on events involving competitors under the age of eighteen.
You can place one of many wagers while at the Ameristar Sportsbook. The venue supports these bets:
As of August 2020, Ameristar says that prop bets will be available in the future.
The Bet Builder is available at the Ameristar Sportsbook to help you figure out which wagers you wish to place. You can use the Bet Builder system through the Ameristar East Chicago website on your phone or tablet browser. The system lets you check on the latest bets and previews how much they will pay if you are successful.
The Bet Builder will produce a QR code based on whatever bets you wish to utilize. The code includes details on your picks and how much you will spend. A sportsbook teller will scan your code and collect your payment, giving you a live ticket for your wager. The Bet Builder makes it easier for you to find the wagers you want to place and get your preferred ticket ready.
You can play casino games and place sportsbook bets at the Ameristar Casino East Chicago and earn reward points. You’ll receive these points as part of the MyChoice rewards system. Penn National Gaming runs the MyChoice system.
You can earn reward points when you play games and place wagers with your MyChoice account. Your points will be valid towards cashback rewards or for discounted stays at various properties in the MyChoice system. These include the Hollywood Casino locations in nearby Joliet or Aurora, the Tropicana in Las Vegas, and the Greektown Casino and Hotel in Detroit.
The Ameristar Casino East Chicago features an online casino where you can play games for fun if you can’t make it to the real place. The MyChoice Casino offers more than two hundred slots and table games to play for free.
You can log on to the MyChoice Casino with your MyChoice Rewards account. You will earn free MyChoice rewards when you play games on the online casino.
Ameristar’s partnership with the DraftKings Sportsbook lets you place bets on sporting events anywhere in Indiana through DraftKings. You can fund your DraftKings Sportsbook account at the Ameristar Casino cage.
The DraftKings Sportsbook includes mobile and desktop interfaces that help you find the wagers you want. In-game betting and wagering pools are available. Draftkings sportsbook also offers weekly and monthly Indiana sportsbook promotions to new and existing sports bettors.
You’ll find many other things to enjoy while at the Ameristar Casino East Chicago. To start, you can spend a night or two at the Ameristar Hotel. The hotel has nearly three hundred rooms and suites. The hotel features rooms with either one king bed or two queen beds. There are also accessible guest rooms with lower locks and switches, low-clearance toilets, a roll-in shower, and a five-foot diameter turning radius.
Each room includes the following:
You’ll also enjoy various other features in the hotel, including:
You can enjoy a fine meal at one of the various restaurants at the Ameristar Casino East Chicago. Here’s a look at what’s available:
You would have to present your MyChoice rewards card to receive free drinks. You may be eligible for free drinks if you have enough reward points.
Ameristar does not allow anyone under 21 to enter. The casino does this to ensure children are not left alone while their parents are gambling.
Ameristar has a conference space with 5,400 square feet of room for special events. The conference room has a banquet staff that provides catering. The conference area is ideal for business events, weddings, and other special occasions.