Argosy Casino Alton, also known as the Alton Belle, is a riverboat casino on the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinois. Its strongest pitch is a straightforward gambling outing with a smoke-free floor, free parking, and a riverfront setting. Slots, table games, Hops House dining, and a sportsbook give adults several reasons to stop. The main limitation is the lack of an on-site hotel: I see this as a better fit for an Alton afternoon or evening than a self-contained casino vacation.
Argosy Alton quick facts
| Address | 1 Piasa Street, Alton, IL 62002 |
|---|---|
| Casino type | Riverboat casino |
| Operator | PENN Entertainment |
| Hours | Sunday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Closing times fall the following morning. |
| Minimum gambling age | 21 |
| Gaming-floor area | 23,000 square feet, reported for May 2026 |
| Games | Slots, video poker, video multi-games, and live table games |
| Poker room | No |
| Sportsbook | Yes; confirm its hours separately |
| On-site hotel | No |
| Dining and drinks | Hops House |
| Parking | Free self-parking |
| Smoking | Smoke-free casino with a designated climate-controlled smoking area |
| Rewards | PENN Play |
| Phone | 1-800-711-4263 |
| Official website | Argosy Casino Alton |
| Guide updated | October 17, 2026 |
The property’s visitor information page provides its posted hours, directions, parking arrangements, and smoking policy. Dining, sportsbook, and table-game schedules may differ from the casino’s hours.
What kind of casino is Argosy Alton?
Think regional riverboat, not sprawling resort. Argosy combines gambling and casual dining beside historic Alton, without the hotel towers and extensive non-gambling facilities of a destination casino.
That is not automatically a drawback. I like the logic of making the casino one part of an Alton outing rather than asking it to carry an entire weekend. The riverfront setting adds something a roadside gambling stop cannot, particularly when someone in your group would rather explore town than play another machine.
For an outdoor addition, the Great Rivers & Routes tourism guide describes the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail as a 26-mile route paralleling the Mississippi River from Alton to Pere Marquette State Park, north of Grafton. Cyclists have a specific excursion to pair with a casino stop.
Alton is in the broader St. Louis metropolitan area, but it is not downtown St. Louis. Compare the drive from your actual starting point rather than treating every regional casino as equally convenient. Our Illinois casinos guide provides a broader starting point.
Casino floor: size and game selection
The Illinois Gaming Board’s May 2026 casino report lists Argosy Alton’s gaming floor at 23,000 square feet. The same report lists DraftKings at Casino Queen at 40,000 square feet.
Dividing Argosy’s reported area by Casino Queen’s puts it at 57.5% of that property’s gaming-floor size. That helps illustrate the difference in scale, not whether either casino has better games, shorter waits, or more space between machines.
Gamboool original analysis
We assembled the comparison below from published information and our calculations. These are selected examples, rather than measured gambling sessions or a representative survey.
| Detail | Published information |
|---|---|
| Self-parking cost and smoking arrangements | The property advertises free self-parking, a smoke-free environment, and a climate-controlled designated smoking area. |
| Weekday and weekend operating schedules | Sunday through Thursday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. The published schedule is not round-the-clock. |
| Published gaming categories | The official visitor page lists multi-denomination slots, video multi-games, blackjack, poker, and roulette. This wording does not establish a dedicated player-versus-player poker room. |
| Published gaming-floor area and operating activity | The Illinois Gaming Board’s May 2026 report records a 23,000-square-foot gaming floor and 31 operating days. This documents activity during that month, not uninterrupted operation afterward. |
| DraftKings at Casino Queen: Regional gaming-floor comparison | The same May 2026 report lists a 40,000-square-foot gaming floor, providing a same-month physical-size comparison with Argosy Alton. |
| Lodging arrangement | The opened encyclopedia entry explicitly states that the casino does not offer lodging; the official visitor page separately recommends local hotels. |
| Official nearby lodging suggestions | The visitor page recommends Alton Comfort Inn and Best Western Plus Parkway Hotel as nearby lodging choices, rather than supplying an on-property room inventory. |
| Super 8 Hotel Alton: Directory starting price and distance | HotelGuides lists a starting rate of $63.00 and a distance of 2.3 miles. No stay dates are specified, so this is not a confirmed current quote. |
| Best Western Plus Parkway Hotel Alton: Directory starting price and distance | HotelGuides lists a starting rate of $85.00 and a distance of 2.4 miles. No stay dates are specified, so this is not a confirmed current quote. |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Alton: Directory starting price and distance | HotelGuides lists a starting rate of $117.00 and a distance of 2.4 miles. No stay dates are specified, so this is not a confirmed current quote. |
| New-member dining offer: Eligibility and redemption limitations | The homepage advertises a $25.00 dining credit for new PENN Play members who also register for the app. Zia Park is excluded, and participating outlets vary; this is conditional dining value, not cash. |
| PENN Play Marketplace: Published redemption equivalence | The homepage states that $1.00 in PENN Cash equals $1.00 of Marketplace shopping value. This passage does not establish a cash-withdrawal right or an earning rate. |
| Guest feedback: Reported strengths and limitations | Wanderlog’s review summary describes dated aspects alongside favorable comments about cleanliness, food, and drinks. These are aggregator-reported themes, not a newly conducted review analysis. |
| Guest feedback: Riverfront appeal beyond gambling | Wanderlog’s review summary highlights riverfront access as an attraction for visitors who prefer outdoor activities. |
| Calculation | Result | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Argosy Alton gaming-floor size relative to DraftKings at Casino Queen, May 2026 | 57.5 percent of Casino Queen’s reported gaming-floor area | Argosy has a smaller reported gaming footprint than this other Illinois-side St. Louis-area option; floor area alone does not establish game selection or crowding. |
| Published starting-rate premium: Best Western Plus Parkway versus Super 8 Alton | $22.00 in advertised starting room-rate difference, excluding unlisted taxes and fees | The directory positions Super 8 as the cheaper starting-rate option. These undated ‘From’ prices are comparison markers, not same-date booking quotes; check actual dates and cancellation terms. |
| Published starting-rate premium: Hampton Inn & Suites versus Best Western Plus Parkway | $32.00 in advertised starting room-rate difference, excluding unlisted taxes and fees | The directory lists these hotels at the same distance from the casino but different starting prices. Compare actual room quotes and amenities rather than assuming the higher advertised price buys a shorter trip. |
Research references: argosyalton.com 1, bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com, en.wikipedia.org, argosyalton.com 4.
Method: Published inputs collected 2026-10-17. Illustrative assumptions are labeled, and the full calculation inputs remain in the saved research record. These examples support planning; they do not predict a particular session.
Wikipedia’s property entry lists 516 slots and nine table games. Treat those as third-party estimates without a stated inventory date, not confirmed current counts. Other undated descriptions give a higher machine figure, so I would not choose this casino based on a precise slot total.
Slots and video poker
The official game description includes multi-denomination slots and video multi-games; video poker also appears in third-party descriptions. The appeal is machine variety for a casual visit, not a guarantee that every favorite title or denomination will be available.
My advice is to check the total wager before spinning. A low denomination does not necessarily mean a small bet once lines, credits, and features are included. Video poker players should inspect the pay table, since the game name alone does not establish the return.
Guest stories about long sessions or quick losses do not establish whether machines are loose or tight, and neither predicts your next visit.
Table games
Blackjack and roulette appear in the property’s official description. Craps appears in secondary descriptions, but call first if that is the reason for your drive.
Confirm operating times and minimum bets, too. A listed game may not run throughout casino hours, and old low-limit references are a poor foundation for a budget. At blackjack, check the blackjack payout and playing rules before buying in, not just the minimum wager.
Poker room
Argosy Alton has no dedicated player-versus-player poker room. Video poker and poker-themed casino table games are different from cash poker games and tournaments.
Sportsbook
Argosy Alton advertises an on-property sportsbook. Confirm its hours and betting arrangements before traveling specifically to place a wager; do not assume its counter follows the casino’s full schedule.
Does Argosy Alton have a hotel?
No. There is no on-site hotel. The casino recommends nearby lodging, including Alton Comfort Inn and Best Western Plus Parkway Hotel.
This is the most consequential difference between an Argosy outing and a resort stay. A separate hotel means a separate trip back after gambling, and a room elsewhere in the St. Louis area may create more driving than you expect.
I would compare the complete overnight cost: the room, taxes, any hotel parking charges, and transportation. Free casino parking helps with a driving visit, but it does not solve the late-night ride back if you have been drinking. Arrange a sober driver or dependable transportation before the evening begins.
Restaurants and bars: Hops House
Hops House is the venue identified on the official dining page. Its food, beer, and sports positioning suits a relaxed meal during a casino outing rather than a formal dinner.
I would treat it as a convenient option, not a reason to expect an extensive restaurant lineup. Check service hours before planning a late meal: an open casino does not necessarily mean an open kitchen.
The property’s Hops House menu lists a fried catfish dinner with fries, hushpuppies, and coleslaw. The menu is undated, so confirm availability before making that your dinner plan.
Another approach is to eat in Alton and gamble afterward, rather than make the evening depend on one restaurant’s schedule. Do not plan around buffet references in older listings without confirming a current offering.
Parking, hours, smoking, and visit costs
- Free self-parking: A concrete value advantage for a short visit.
- Not open 24 hours: The casino opens at 9 a.m. daily and closes the following morning at 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
- Smoke-free gaming: A designated climate-controlled smoking area is available.
- Age and identification: You must be 21 to gamble. Bring valid government-issued photo identification.
- Accessibility planning: If walking distances or access between areas matter, ask about the route from parking to your intended games or restaurant.
Use 1 Piasa Street, Alton, Illinois, for navigation. The property’s advertised drive time from St. Louis is a rough planning aid, not a guarantee from every neighborhood.
Keep food, transportation, and lodging separate from your gambling bankroll, and check ATM or cash-advance fees before accepting a transaction. Free parking is welcome, but avoid handing that saving back through unnecessary cash-access charges.
PENN Play rewards
Argosy participates in PENN Play. Existing members should check which offers apply at Alton rather than assume an offer from another property transfers automatically.
At the time of this update, the homepage advertised a $25.00 dining credit for new PENN Play sign-ups who also register for the app. Participating outlets vary, and Zia Park is excluded. This is conditional dining value, not cash; check current terms before planning a meal around it.
My rule with casino rewards is simple: use an offer that fits the trip you already intended to take. Do not increase your gambling budget to make a promotion feel worthwhile.
Guest praise and common complaints
An undated aggregated guest-review summary highlights cleanliness, machine variety, and the riverfront setting. Some impressions describe dated surroundings despite favorable comments about upkeep. Those observations can coexist: an older-looking casino can still be clean and enjoyable.
I would give that distinction more weight than a blanket label of impressive or tired. If your priorities are smoke-free gaming, machines, and an easy meal, dated decor may not matter much. If you want polished resort surroundings and plenty to do under one roof, it matters more.
These subjective impressions do not establish today’s service or crowd conditions. The clearer planning limitations are no attached hotel, limited listed dining variety, and separate schedules for food and specific games.
Who is Argosy Alton best for?
I would put Argosy on the list for adults already visiting Alton, local players who value smoke-free gaming, and groups happy to combine gambling with dinner or time by the river. Free parking keeps a short outing uncomplicated.
I would look elsewhere for a room-to-casino weekend with minimal transportation planning. Argosy’s appeal is the combination of the casino and Alton, not the promise that you never need to leave the property.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Alton Belle the same as Argosy Casino Alton?
Yes. Alton Belle is the historic name associated with the riverboat casino now commonly called Argosy Casino Alton. Use the Alton address to avoid confusion with another Argosy property.
Does Argosy Alton have a hotel?
No. Overnight visitors need separate lodging and a transportation plan.
Does it have a sportsbook or poker room?
It advertises an on-property sportsbook, but it has no dedicated player-versus-player poker room. Confirm sportsbook hours before a betting-focused trip.
Is parking free?
Yes. The property advertises free self-parking.
Can you smoke inside the casino?
The gaming environment is smoke-free, with a designated climate-controlled smoking area available.
How old do you have to be to gamble?
The minimum gambling age is 21.
Sources and planning notes
Official property information, the dated gaming-floor report, the tourism guide, and third-party inventory estimates are linked where discussed. Game inventories, offers, and operating schedules can change. Confirm dining, sportsbook, and table-game hours before making a trip around a particular offering.
Poker room and sportsbook
There is no dedicated poker room.