Lakeside Hotel Casino In Osceola

Within driving distance of Des Moines, Lakeside Hotel Casino sits in a popular hiking and camping area. During the summer months, its linked RV park is full — with free slot play coming with the daily camping fee.

Lakeside recently opened a retail sportsbook, and is one of several Iowa casinos to partner with William Hill. Mobile and app-based betting is also available via this venue. This is backed up with a big casino. You’ll find 25 table games, 1,000 slots and all the dining and entertainment facilities you’d expect from a long-running venue.

Originally known as “Terrible’s Lakeside,” this casino has an interesting history. You’ll find out about that at the bottom of this page. First is a look at the sportsbook, casino games, rewards, dining options and entertainment.

Lakeside Casino retail sportsbook

Partnering with William Hill allowed Lakeside to become one of the first Iowa casinos to open its retail sportsbook. This allows for money line, totals, spreads and parlay bets on both pro and college sports. You will also find plenty of sport-specific bets. The sports covered include football, baseball, hockey, basketball, soccer, fighting (MMA/boxing), golf, tennis and motor sports.

Sportsbook hours of operation are:

• Monday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Taking its lead from Las Vegas-style sportsbooks, Lakeside allows you to watch the games on HD TVs while enjoying food and drink service. William Hill runs this operation, bringing many years of live sports betting experience to ensure that both new bettors and seasoned experts are well looked after.

Lakeside Casino online sportsbook

Lakeside is one of five sportsbooks to partner with William Hill to allow Iowa online sports betting. This is available via a website or apps (for either Android or Apple phones). Once you have downloaded, registered, confirmed at the Lakeside and deposited, you’ll be able to bet from anywhere within Iowa online.

All the bets you can place on pro and college sports are available via the apps. There are also innovative new ideas, including live/in-play betting and cash-out betting.

New players get to take part in a bankroll-boosting promotion — “Play $50, Get $50” — as well as plenty of other reoccurring and one-off promotions.

Casino games at Lakeside Casino Osceola

With 37,500 square feet of gaming space over three floors of its (now stationary) riverboat casino, there are plenty of options at Lakeside. This includes a full 1,000 electronic options. Most of these are slots, with video poker, keno machines and electronic table games like blackjack and bubble craps also included in this category.

You’ll find a huge variety of slots with denominations from 1¢ through to $25. These include the classics like Dancing Drums, Buffalo and Texas Tea — as well as newer games with big screens and even bigger jackpots. Traditional three-reel slots are always popular, and look out for titles with bonus wheels or picks-style games. In addition to the consoles on the casino floor, you will find video poker on bar tops.

Table games are limited, with only 24 regular tables available. These include blackjack, roulette and craps — along with poker themed table games, including three-card poker. Expect side bets with big prizes, as well as the regular gameplay. Lakeside also includes a small poker room, which has just two tables.

Player rewards at Lakeside Osceola

The player rewards loyalty program at Lakeside is called “A-Play.” This card-based system is administered by Affinity Gaming. It works at 10 casinos — in Nevada, Missouri and Colorado — as well as the Lakeside in Iowa.

As with many similar schemes, you collect points based on your play, and move up tiers. These are red, silver, gold and platinum. As you move up, you unlock extra bonuses and benefits. Here are some of the extras that A-Play members receive:

• Exchange points for free-play or cash
• Point multipliers (earn them faster as you climb)
• Monthly promotion and coupon mailer
• Birthday offers
• VIP Line passes
• No resort fees on hotel stays
• Restaurant/gift-shop discounts

This loyalty scheme is only one part of the promotions on offer at Lakeside Casino. Other offers change regularly, and are often themed on different holidays. Here is a selection of the current offers, which will give you a solid idea of what you can expect:

• Halloween Kiosk Game: Swipe to win up to $1,000, with additional swipes earned via slot play.
• John Deere Tractor Give Away: A drawing promo, with 10x $5k prizes and a tractor for the winner. Additional entries via slot play.
• Hot Gift Hot Seat: Goods including coffee makers and blenders given away every 30 minutes to players that are gambling.
• Lucky Lantern Kiosk Game: You can win up to $1,000 each time you “swipe” this game on Tuesdays. Again, additional swipes are available via slot play.
• Nifty 40 Spin and Win: This promo is for players 50 and older. Swipe your card to get free play, cash, points or merchandise.

Keep in mind that additional promotions are available via the Lakeside Casino William Hill sports betting app.

Entertainment and dining options at Lakeside Casino

There are two dining options at Lakeside. One is the Heartland Buffet, which is advertised as a “jackpot for the taste buds.” It is open from 4 p.m. weekdays, and from 8 a.m. on the weekends, when breakfast/brunch is also included. Specials include a Champagne brunch, prime rib buffet and crabs leg buffet.

The other option is the West Lake Bar & Grill. This is a casual dining venue, as well as a fully stocked bar. You can enjoy burgers, sandwiches and breakfast items here. Look out for specials. including the “two fisted breakfast sandwich.”

Other attractions include an intimate concert venue, which holds 1,200 people and attracts a range of music acts and shows. The Lakeside Casino sits in beautiful scenery, making the RV park a popular summer vacation spot.

History of the Lakeside Casino in Iowa

There has been a casino in Osceola since 2000. Back then, casino licenses required that the boats cruised during the April to October season. In 2005, this venue was bought by Terrible Herbst Gaming, and became known as “Terrible’s Lakeside” for many years. Unfortunately, this company fell into bankruptcy, with the original name being restored.

With the 2007 law changes, boats were no longer required to cruise. While some Iowa casinos moved to land-based venues, Lakeside continued to offer gaming from its boat. A hotel and entertainment complex was built around this. The casino is currently part of the Affinity Gaming group, which includes casinos from several states.

Wrapping up: Betting and gambling at Lakeside Casino Iowa

Set off the shores of a picturesque lake south of Des Moines, Lakeside Casino has a long history. Today, it offers a modern casino with 1,000 slots and multiple table game options. These include plenty of chances to win big jackpots.

In 2019, Lakeside became one of the first wave of Iowa casinos to open a sportsbook. This is a partnership with William Hill. It includes both a retail sportsbook, and an online app/website.

There is more to this popular casino than just gambling. With an RV park, bars, restaurants and an entertainment complex, there are now multiple reasons to make the trip.