Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington, Iowa, now operates as Great River Casino Resort. Its main draw is the wider FunCity complex, combining gambling with hotel choices, dining, a spa, a water park, bowling, and arcade entertainment. I see it as a better fit for a mixed-interest outing than a trip built around a specific poker game or sportsbook setup. The main limitations are smoke concerns in the available guest feedback and the need to confirm gaming services, attraction access, and hotel inclusions separately.
Catfish Bend Casino Burlington quick facts
| Current name | Great River Casino Resort, formerly Catfish Bend Casino |
|---|---|
| Location | Burlington, Iowa |
| Listed address | 3001 Winegard Dr, Suite 130, Burlington, IA 52601; third-party listing |
| Phone | (319) 753-2946 |
| Property type | Casino resort with associated hotels and FunCity entertainment |
| Advertised hotel choices | FunCity Hotel, Great River Hotel, and Hampton Inn |
| Advertised amenities | Spa, water park, arcade, bowling alley, and event center |
| Best for | Visitors combining casino time with lodging or other activities |
| Supplied research date | October 11, 2026 |
Is Catfish Bend now Great River Casino Resort?
Yes. The official casino website identifies Catfish Bend Casino as its former name, and Great River Casino Resort appears on the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s facility-license list. This is a renamed operating property, not a guide to a closed casino. The supplied sources do not establish the effective date of the name change.
The resort identifies itself as part of the Elite Casino Resorts family. On November 20, 2025, Elite announced regulatory approval of its acquisition of Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort. That provides context for the branding: the acquisition involved the wider resort, not just the casino.
Think of the casino as one part of the outing. The associated hotels and non-gaming attractions are what make this property worth considering for people with different interests. For alternatives around the state, see our Iowa casinos guide.
Casino floor, slots, and table games
The available guest summary describes slots and table-game play, but the supplied official pages do not establish a current machine count, gaming-floor size, or complete game inventory. I would not use an old list of slot titles as a shopping list for a new visit.
Slots and video poker
Check the total wager, not just the denomination printed on a slot machine. A low-denomination game can still carry a larger bet once its lines and features are included. Set your budget before playing, and do not treat a promotion as permission to stretch it.
If video poker is your priority, ask about current games and denominations, then inspect the pay tables before playing. This guide does not establish the current video poker selection.
Table games
The review summary mentions blackjack, friendly dealers, comfortable table-game play, and electronic alternatives. It is not a current operating schedule, so confirm your preferred game and its staffed hours before making a special trip.
I care more about the posted rules than a table’s appearance. At blackjack, check the blackjack payout, doubling and splitting restrictions, and dealer rules. Current table minimums and maximums are not established by the supplied sources.
Poker room
There is no dedicated poker room or on-site sportsbook.
Sportsbook: confirm the retail service
The resort homepage includes a sportsbook link, but the published information does not establish the current retail operator, counter hours, or kiosk availability. That is a reason to ask for details, not a basis for promising a particular betting setup.
The Iowa regulator’s sports-wagering information distinguishes on-premises sportsbook arrangements from online operator associations. An online affiliation alone does not identify the physical counter’s operator.
If you want to wager in person, confirm retail service and hours. If you want to watch a game, ask about seating and food service separately. A television, a sports bar, and an open betting counter are three different things.
Hotels: compare location and package inclusions
The FunCity resort website advertises FunCity Hotel, Great River Hotel, and Hampton Inn. These are separate booking choices, not one interchangeable casino hotel.
For a casino-focused overnight, ask about the walking route between your room and the gaming floor. For an attraction-focused trip, prioritize the activities on your schedule. Do not assume every booking includes water-park admission, spa services, or identical pool access.
The available guest summary praises spacious, clean rooms at the hotel it calls Catfish Bend Inn and Spa. Because it uses an older hotel name and supplies no review dates, treat that as background, not a promise about every current hotel or room category.
Room counts, mandatory charges, check-in times, and cancellation terms are not established in the published information. Compare the final booking total and written inclusions.
Short casino stop or overnight resort trip?
Gamboool’s supplied compilation brings together the name change, lodging choices, amenities, and guest themes. This is analysis of public information, not a firsthand resort test or price survey.
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 |
|---|---|
| Catfish Bend Casino Burlington: Current property name | The official property website identifies Catfish Bend Casino as the former name of Great River Casino Resort & FunCity. Visitors searching or booking under the old name should also look for the Great River name. |
| Great River Casino Resort and FunCity: Resort affiliation | The resort identifies itself as part of the Elite Casino Resorts family. |
| Great River Casino Resort: State facility-license listing | The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission lists Great River Casino Resort among its licensed casino facilities. |
| Great River Casino Resort and FunCity lodging: Published hotel choices | The resort homepage offers separate booking links for FunCity Hotel, Great River Hotel, and Hampton Inn. These are distinct booking choices, not a single undifferentiated casino hotel. |
| Great River Casino Resort and FunCity: Non-gambling amenities | The official resort description lists a spa, water park, arcade, and bowling alley alongside lodging, dining, and gambling. This supports choosing the property for a mixed-interest outing, but does not establish attraction prices or room-package inclusions. |
| Iowa sports wagering: Retail versus online operator arrangements | Iowa permits casino licensees to partner with outside entities for either on-premises retail wagering or online wagering. A casino association alone does not establish that the same operator serves both channels. |
| Iowa sports wagering: Where to check operator associations | The regulator directs visitors to separate listings for online operator associations and on-premises casino sportsbook associations. Use the appropriate listing when checking the Burlington property’s retail sportsbook rather than treating an online affiliation as proof of counter service. |
| Great River Casino Resort and FunCity guest-review summary: Lodging, dealer service, and access themes | Wanderlog’s review summary reports praise for room spaciousness and cleanliness, friendly blackjack dealers, parking access, and hotel facilities. These are secondary-source review themes, not findings from a newly collected individual-review sample. |
| Great River Casino Resort and FunCity guest-review summary: Smoke exposure and table-game comfort | Wanderlog’s summary describes smoking inside and a comfortable table-game experience. Smoke-sensitive visitors should confirm the current policy directly; this review summary is not an official smoking-policy statement. |
| Great River Casino Resort and FunCity guest-review summary: Dining expectations | Wanderlog characterizes the food as basic but satisfying. This is a modest dining expectation from a secondary review summary, not a menu-price comparison or an assessment of every restaurant. |
Research references: greatriverresort.com, funcityresort.com, irgc.iowa.gov 3, irgc.iowa.gov 4, wanderlog.com.
Method: Published inputs collected 2026-10-11. 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.
- Short casino stop: Focus on gaming hours, preferred games, smoke exposure, and available dining. A hotel package adds little if you will not use it.
- Casino-centered overnight: Prioritize the room-to-casino route, final room price, and cancellation flexibility. Attraction access is secondary unless you plan to use it.
- Mixed-interest resort trip: Coordinate hotel location, attraction schedules, admission terms, and meals before comparing room prices. The cheapest room is not automatically the cheapest complete outing.
The sources provide no prices for a defensible cheapest-hotel ranking or total-trip calculation.
Restaurants, bars, and FunCity amenities
Dining is advertised across the resort, but the supplied official pages do not establish a current restaurant lineup, menus, prices, or late-night hours. The guest summary characterizes food as basic but satisfying. I would expect a convenient meal as part of the outing rather than choose the property primarily for a destination dinner. That is a reading of limited feedback, not a review of every restaurant.
The advertised spa, water park, arcade, bowling alley, and Great River Event Center are the clearest advantages for a group whose members do not all want to gamble.
At the Iowa commission’s April 23, 2026 meeting, Elite reported starting approximately $3 million in capital projects, including surveillance and slot-system upgrades and water-park renovations. That describes work underway at the time, not confirmation that every project is finished.
Check dining and attraction schedules separately from casino hours, along with seasonal availability, admission charges, and reservation requirements. For families, plan appropriate supervision and keep casino time separate from the non-gaming activities.
Directions, parking, and visit costs
The third-party address listing places the property at 3001 Winegard Dr, Suite 130, Burlington, IA 52601. Use the current resort name when checking directions, and confirm the entrance appropriate to your casino visit or hotel booking.
Parking charges, valet service, EV charging, and transportation arrangements are not established here. Call (319) 753-2946 if these affect your plans. Ask about accessibility and walking distances when relevant.
Keep your gambling bankroll separate from meals, lodging, attraction admission, and transportation. Before booking, check taxes, mandatory hotel charges, package inclusions, and cancellation terms. The supplied sources do not support a visitor-cost total.
Bring valid photo identification, confirm entry requirements, and check casino hours and staffed-table hours separately.
Rewards program
Ask the players club how play is tracked, whether table play qualifies, which benefits you can use during your visit, and when points or offers expire. The current program’s terms are not established here.
I would not assume Elite affiliation makes benefits interchangeable across properties. A discount is useful only if you would otherwise make the purchase, and chasing an offer is not a sound gambling budget.
Guest praise and common complaints
The available Wanderlog guest-review summary highlights convenient access to hotels and entertainment, friendly blackjack dealers, and spacious, clean rooms under the older Catfish Bend Inn and Spa name. Those themes support the appeal of combining activities in one outing.
Smoke exposure is the most actionable complaint. The summary describes indoor smoking, but it is not an official policy statement. Smoke-sensitive visitors should confirm the current policy and nonsmoking options.
Some guests describe the slots as tight while also reporting enjoyable visits. Someone can like a property and dislike the result of a gambling session. Neither impression establishes payout rates or your chances of winning.
This feedback comes from one undated aggregator summary, not a newly collected or representative sample. Experiences may predate the rebranding. The listing also incorrectly groups the property under Davenport despite showing a Burlington address; its location heading and malformed hours are not used as visit guidance.
Who is this casino best for?
- Best fit: Burlington-area visitors, couples considering an overnight outing, and groups wanting casino time alongside other entertainment.
- Less compelling: Travelers making a long drive for an unconfirmed poker game, specific sportsbook arrangement, or particular slot title.
- Important caveat: Smoke-sensitive visitors should settle the smoking-policy question before going.
My verdict: the wider resort is the reason to give this property a look. Choose it because the combination fits your plans, not because an old listing promises every game and amenity on demand.
Frequently asked questions
Did Catfish Bend Casino close?
The official website identifies Catfish Bend Casino as the former name of the operating Great River Casino Resort. The current name also appears on Iowa’s casino facility-license list.
Does Catfish Bend Casino have a hotel?
The wider resort advertises FunCity Hotel, Great River Hotel, and Hampton Inn. Confirm the specific hotel, casino access route, and package inclusions when booking.
Does it have poker or a sportsbook?
There is no dedicated poker room or on-site sportsbook.
Is water-park access included with a room?
Do not assume it is. Check your hotel rate or package’s written terms and the attraction’s operating schedule.
Is the casino smoke-free?
The available review summary describes indoor smoking. Confirm the current official policy and nonsmoking options before visiting.
Sources and research note
Sources are linked at their relevant uses above. Additional supplied links retained for reference are the alternate official resort homepage URL and the legacy FunCity casino link. Use the current Great River branding when seeking visit information.
The supplied research date is October 11, 2026. This compilation uses public sources, not a personal visit, representative survey, or exclusive dataset. No visitor-cost calculations were supplied.
Editorial note: Ready for user editorial review, not independently fact-checked. Gaming availability, charges, policies, and booking terms remain subject to confirmation. The existing WordPress image is retained; no new AI hero or licensed section-photo asset was supplied or added. Publication is a separate action.