Rivers Casino Pittsburgh turns 15 years old in August. To celebrate its quindecennial, the resort owned and operated by Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming recently completed a $6.6 million renovation. The investment focused on enhancing the property’s events capabilities, with a significant portion of the budget allocated towards updating and expanding the casino’s ballrooms.
The project included the addition of a new events room called the Bridges Ballroom, a 7,044-square-foot second-floor venue overlooking the Ohio River. This indoor-outdoor space features a balcony and panoramic views of the river. Bridges can be divided into three smaller rentable spaces ranging from the 1,151-square-foot Fort Duquesne Room to the 4,036-square-foot Fort Pitt Room.
Rivers Casino also added four private meeting rooms. These breakout spaces offer executives and boards an array of configurations, providing flexibility for various event needs.
“With the [city’s professional sports] stadiums and other nearby attractions on the North Shore — not to mention our own full-service gaming floor, BetRivers Sportsbook, and The Landing Hotel — our events calendar fills up quickly,” Bud Green, general manager of Rivers Pittsburgh, said in a statement. “We’re happy to provide new spaces and more dates for hosting conferences, weddings, and special events.”
The casino’s largest space — the 25,000-square-foot Event Center — also underwent a refurbishment. The concert hall has hosted sold-out shows from acts like Boyz II Men, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, and “Long Island Medium” star Theresa Caputo.
Player Amenities
Along with the expanded and upgraded event capabilities, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh added amenities for gamblers. A full-service Starbucks Coffee located just inside the casino’s front entrance and a dedicated lounge for VIPs were among the new additions.
The Black Card Room is billed as the casino’s “ultra-exclusive” retreat for Rush Rewards Players Club members who have achieved the loyalty program’s highest tier. The Black Card Room opened at the end of 2023.
To become a Black Card member in the Rush Rewards program, a patron must acquire a minimum of 25,000 tier points in six months. Rewards players receive a single tier point for every $5 played on slots and for every $10 bet on sports. Table games, excluding poker, award points based on average wager and length of play. Video poker provides a half point for every $5 played.
100 points equal $1 in free food and beverage. 200 points can be redeemed for $1 in free slot play.
Black Card members receive complimentary stays at Atlantis in the Bahamas, free priority valet, free check cashing, slot holds upon request, and four annual complimentary nights at Rio Las Vegas.
Rivers Market Share
Pennsylvania’s 17 brick-and-mortar commercial casinos last year generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $3.435 billion on their slots and table games.
Rivers Pittsburgh won $267.3 million on its slots to rank third in the state. The casino’s felt kept $87.2 million of players’ bets to place fifth.
With a combined GGR of approximately $354.5 million, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh maintained a more than 10% market share of the Pennsylvania casino industry in 2023.
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