Rising Star Casino Resort is a riverboat casino and hotel complex on the Ohio River in Rising Sun, Indiana, southwest of Cincinnati. Its strongest draw is the combination of gambling, golf, an indoor pool, and hotel or RV accommodations in one riverside setting. The trade-off is a relatively small casino and mixed guest reports about upkeep and machine variety. I think it makes the most sense for a relaxed regional getaway, not a trip built around the biggest gaming floor.
Rising Star Casino Resort: quick facts
| Address | 777 Rising Star Drive, Rising Sun, IN 47040 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Full House Resorts |
| Casino type | Riverboat casino resort |
| Minimum gambling age | 21 |
| Gaming space | Approximately 40,000 square feet, reported for FY 2026 |
| Gaming machines | Approximately 630 electronic gaming devices, reported for FY 2026 |
| Table games | 16 reported in June 2026, including blackjack, craps, roulette, and house-banked poker games |
| Poker room | No |
| Retail sportsbook | No |
| Hotel | 294 rooms across the Casino Hotel and The Lodge |
| RV accommodations | Full-service RV park |
| Dining | Wellington’s, Ben’s Bistro, a sports bar, and a coffee bar |
| Notable amenities | 18-hole golf course, indoor pool, sauna, and fitness center |
| Parking | Surface parking |
| Rewards program | Rising Star VIP Club |
| Phone | 812-438-1234 or 800-472-6311 |
What kind of casino is Rising Star?
Rising Star combines a multilevel riverboat casino with a landside pavilion, two lodging buildings, golf, and an RV park. For visitors comparing Indiana casinos, the important distinction is that a substantial resort campus does not necessarily mean a substantial casino floor.
The Indiana Gaming Commission’s FY 2026 annual report lists Rising Star with 40,000 square feet of gaming space and Hollywood Lawrenceburg with 131,000. Rising Star’s reported footprint is about 30.5% of Hollywood’s, yet their hotel capacities are nearly identical: 294 rooms here versus 295 there.
My takeaway: Rising Star’s overnight appeal depends more on what you do away from the machines. Golfers and RV travelers have a clearer reason to choose it than someone whose checklist is more games, more tables, and more late-night action. Floor area alone says nothing about payout quality or how crowded either property will be.
Casino games: slots, video poker, and tables
Slots and video poker
Expect a machine-led casino with roughly 630 electronic gaming devices, including slots and video poker. That is a report-period inventory, not a guarantee that every machine will be available during your visit.
Guest reports disagree about the selection. Some describe older games and too few newer machines, while a published visitor account appreciated the mixture of classic cabinets and newer titles. A player who likes familiar games may enjoy the same floor that disappoints someone hunting for the latest releases.
I would not make a special trip for one particular slot without calling first. For video poker, inspect the individual machine’s pay table. Neither a familiar game name nor a favorable guest report tells you which payout schedule you are getting. Likewise, reports of losing sessions do not establish that the machines are unusually tight.
Table games
The regulator’s June 2026 report lists 16 tables: nine blackjack, two craps, one roulette, and four house-banked poker tables. It does not identify the individual poker variants.
That covers the familiar staples without an especially deep lineup. An inventory count is not a staffing schedule, so ask about operating hours if craps or a particular card game is the reason for your visit.
Check posted minimums and rules before buying in. I would pay particular attention to the blackjack payout rather than choosing solely by the lowest minimum. Limits can change with demand.
Poker room
Rising Star has no dedicated player-versus-player poker room. Video poker machines and house-banked poker tables are separate offerings, not cash games or tournaments against other players.
Sportsbook
Rising Star has no on-property retail sportsbook. Its sports bar is a place to watch games, not a betting counter. A mobile sports-wagering license associated with the property should not be confused with a physical sportsbook or wagering kiosks.
Hotel rooms, amenities, and additional charges
The Casino Hotel and The Lodge have 294 rooms combined: 190 in the main hotel adjoining the resort and 104 in the adjacent Lodge. Main-hotel room choices include one king bed or two queen beds, with views toward the riverboat casino or golf course.
The indoor pool, sauna, fitness center, and free Wi-Fi give an overnight stay more purpose than simply having somewhere to sleep after gambling. Ask which building you are booking and how far it is from the facilities you expect to use. For someone with limited mobility, location may matter more than the view.
Guest feedback is mixed. Comfortable rooms and friendly staff receive praise, while other reports describe dated facilities and cleanliness problems. I would approach this as a convenient regional casino hotel rather than assume that resort means modern, upscale accommodations.
Refundable deposit and amenity fee
The hotel lists a refundable $50 credit-card deposit plus an additional amenity fee at check-in. The fee amount is not stated on its hotel page. Listed inclusions are in-room water, business-center use, and pool-area use.
Keep those charges separate when comparing offers: the deposit affects the funds you need available, while the amenity fee affects the final stay cost. Request the complete price, including taxes and applicable fees.
Front-desk service is listed daily from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Arrange a late arrival directly rather than assuming overnight coverage, and confirm cancellation terms for your reservation.
RV park: rates, site sizes, and sample stay costs
The official RV park page lists 50 back-in sites at 40 feet and six pull-through sites at 50 feet. Each site has 20/30/50-amp hookups. The park advertises full hookups, Wi-Fi, bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, grills, and a shelter.
Published base rates are $39.99 Sunday through Thursday and $49.99 Friday, Saturday, and holidays, with a $10 pull-through supplement.
| Illustrative two-night stay | Base total |
|---|---|
| Two nonholiday weeknights, back-in site | $79.98 |
| Friday and Saturday, back-in site | $99.98 |
| Friday and Saturday, pull-through site | $119.98, assuming the $10 supplement applies each night |
These examples exclude taxes and any additional charges. Confirm the supplement’s frequency when reserving. I would choose the site that fits the rig first, then compare prices, rather than turn a cheaper reservation into an awkward parking exercise.
- Arrival and departure: RV check-in is 1 p.m., and checkout is 11 a.m., with no late checkouts.
- Cancellation: At least 48 hours’ notice is required to avoid a one-night charge.
- Length of stay: Reservations are normally limited to five consecutive days; longer stays require management approval.
- Pets: Up to three pets are permitted in the RV park.
- Casino access: There is no shuttle. Plan on walking, particularly if weather or mobility could make that difficult.
Restaurants and bars
Wellington’s is the steak-and-seafood choice for a more substantial dinner. Its published schedule lists Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m.; Wednesday is listed as closed. Confirm service for your date and consider a reservation if dinner is central to the trip.
Ben’s Bistro is the casual alternative and receives favorable guest comments. A published visitor account also praised its meal value, although an earlier visit’s prices should not be treated as today’s menu.
The property’s dining lineup also includes a sports-bar option with sandwiches, burgers, and wings, plus a coffee bar. Casino bars provide additional places for a drink.
My advice is to plan around the restaurant that will actually be serving when you want to eat. A list of outlets is less helpful than an open kitchen, especially late at night or early in the week.
Golf, indoor pool, and entertainment
The Links at Rising Star is an 18-hole course and, in my view, one of the clearest reasons to stay rather than make a short gambling stop. Compare golf packages by their actual room and tee-time inclusions, and arrange both before committing to a golf-centered trip.
The RV page lists family pool hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and adult hours from 7 p.m. to midnight, with access limited to registered guests and accompanied visitors. Confirm the current schedule during your stay.
The resort has offered weekend live music at the pavilion sports bar and a seasonal Christmas Casino presentation. Treat both as date-specific, not attractions guaranteed to be running whenever you arrive.
For group trips, Full House Resorts’ August 2025 property overview lists approximately 31,500 square feet of meeting and convention space. Ask about room configurations, catering, and lodging arrangements before bringing a group.
Directions, parking, smoking, and accessibility
Rising Star is on the Indiana side of the Ohio River, southwest of Cincinnati. Allow roughly 45 minutes to an hour from the Cincinnati area, depending on your starting point and route.
Full House Resorts’ annual report describes surface parking and a ferry connection between the property and Burlington, Kentucky. There is no bridge at the casino. If navigation suggests the ferry, confirm its operating status, hours, and fare before relying on it, especially for the return trip.
Check the property map before choosing an entrance or unloading luggage. Accessible hotel features are available; discuss specific room needs and walking distances with reservations.
Do not assume the casino is smoke-free. The operator’s report describes its Indiana gaming area as not subject to tobacco restrictions. Smoke-sensitive visitors should ask about current smoking arrangements, nonsmoking gaming options, and hotel-room policies before booking.
You must be at least 21 to gamble. Bring valid government-issued identification.
Rising Star VIP Club: slots versus video poker
The Rising Star VIP Club terms list one base tier point per $1 of slot coin-in, compared with one per $5 of video poker coin-in. Table-game ratings depend on average wager and wagering activity.
For an illustrative $1,000 in cumulative wagers, that produces 1,000 base slot tier points versus 200 base video poker tier points, before applicable bonuses. Coin-in means the total wagered, including money replayed, not the amount lost or a required starting bankroll.
Equal wagering therefore does not produce equal tier progress, but that does not establish that slots offer better gambling value. I would choose a game by its rules and pay table, not switch simply to watch the rewards counter move faster.
Ordinary tier status is generally evaluated over six months, and published terms say points expire after six months of inactivity. Benefits depend on rated play and availability. Use offers to reduce the cost of a visit you already want to make, not as a reason to chase a higher tier.
Guest praise and common complaints
Favorable themes in available guest reports include comfortable rooms, friendly staff, Ben’s Bistro, and activities beyond gambling. Golf, the pool, ferry rides, and seasonal decorations add appeal beyond the casino floor.
The counterweight is uneven feedback about room upkeep, cleanliness, and the age of the gaming selection. These accounts span different visits and do not establish one uniform experience.
Small also does not automatically mean quiet. One holiday-visit account described difficulty finding seats at preferred machines. I would not generalize that to an ordinary weekday, but it is a useful warning against expecting a smaller casino to be uncrowded during a popular event.
My take: who should choose Rising Star?
Rising Star suits regional travelers who want a riverside casino break with golf, an indoor pool, and hotel or RV accommodations rather than a sprawling gaming destination. Guest reports praise comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and Ben’s Bistro, but disagree on upkeep and machine variety, so I would weigh the complete stay price against those activities. Choose another property if modern surroundings and a broader gaming selection matter most; here, dining schedules, ferry logistics, and an additional hotel amenity fee require some planning.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rising Star Casino Resort have a poker room?
No. It offers video poker and house-banked poker games, but no dedicated player-versus-player poker room.
Does Rising Star have a sportsbook?
No. There is no on-property retail sportsbook. The sports bar and mobile licensing arrangements are separate from a physical betting facility.
How many hotel rooms does Rising Star have?
There are 294 rooms across the Casino Hotel and The Lodge. Confirm which building your reservation covers.
Does Rising Star charge a hotel amenity fee?
Yes. Its hotel page lists an additional amenity fee without stating the amount. A refundable $50 credit-card deposit is a separate requirement.
Does Rising Star have a pool?
Yes. It advertises an indoor pool, sauna, and fitness center. Confirm access and hours for your stay.
How old do you have to be to gamble at Rising Star?
You must be at least 21. Bring valid government-issued identification.
Is there a shuttle from the RV park to the casino?
No. The RV park describes the casino as a short walk away but does not provide a shuttle.
Poker room and sportsbook
There is no dedicated poker room or on-site sportsbook.