The Queen Baton Rouge and DraftKings Sportsbook Officially Celebrate Grand Opening, Welcoming 1,000+ Guests
Mayor-President of Baton Rouge Sharon Weston Broome, The Queen Baton Rouge general manager, Matthew Shehadi, former LSU Tiger and NFL quarterback Matt Flynn and Lydia Chenevert, a 30-year employee of the property before its transformation into The Queen Baton Rouge, participated in ribbon cuttings. Plus, a spectacular drone show wowed guests, and crowds of locals packed the casino at 9 p.m. opening.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Aug. 24, 2023 – The Queen Baton Rouge and DraftKings Sportsbook officially opened at 9 p.m. tonight, welcoming more than 1,000 guests who lined up outdoors to be the first to welcome the stunning, 100,000-square-foot casino to Baton Rouge. The opening was preceded by a ribbon cutting and welcoming remarks by Terry Downey, CEO and President of The Queen Gaming & Entertainment, Inc., Mayor-President of Baton Rouge Sharon Weston Broome, The Queen Baton Rouge general manager, Matthew Shehadi, former LSU Tiger and NFL quarterback Matt Flynn and Ronnie S. Johns, Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
The ribbon was officially cut by Lydia Chenevert, a 30-year employee of The Queen Baton Rouge, which, before tonight, had been the Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge, a historic riverboat casino. An $85 million redevelopment, The Queen Baton Rouge unveiled an entirely new and Baton Rouge’s first land-based casino.
A spectacular drone light show immediately followed the ribbon cutting, synchronized to a playlist that aired on Talk 107.3 and 98.1 FM. The drones lit up the sky with a countdown revealing the logo for The Queen Baton Rouge, as well as all the incredible destinations found within the property: the DraftKings Sportsbook, 1717, a dynamic bar and restaurant with a stage for live entertainment; three exciting quick-service restaurants: Big Chicken, 3 Woks Noodle Bar and Capitol Coffee Baton Rouge; and a dedicated smoking patio, LIT Casino & Bar.
Immediately after The Queen opened its doors, Flynn led a ribbon-cutting ceremony and placed the ceremonial first bet inside the DraftKings Sportsbook.
As of 9 p.m. tonight, The Queen Baton Rouge is now open 24 hours daily.
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About The Queen Baton Rouge
The Queen Baton Rouge, formerly Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge, has introduced a new era since The Queen Casino & Entertainment, Inc. took ownership of the historic property in December 2021. The name change captures the excitement of a comprehensive $85 million transformation, which includes moving the property from the Mississippi River to land, increasing the total footprint from 62,000 to more than 100,000 square feet, and the addition of innovative gaming, dining and entertainment venues. The city’s first land-based casino, located at 1717 River Road N, offers more than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor gaming space with more than 700 gaming machines and 18 table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette and pai gow poker; numerous electronic table options; a state-of-the-art DraftKings Sportsbook with the latest sports wagering technology via 20 kiosks and four betting windows; and a dedicated smoking patio, LIT Casino & Bar, with more than 100 slots and six table games. New dining outposts include rustic American cuisine and entertainment at 1717; and three exciting quick-service restaurants: Big Chicken, 3 Woks Noodle Bar and Capitol Coffee Baton Rouge. Flexible event space, accommodating more than 500 guests, is available for corporate gatherings, weddings, private parties and more. The only Baton Rouge casino located landside, The Queen Baton Rouge is within walking distance to Capitol Lake, Louisiana State Capitol and other landmark destinations. Follow @queenbatonrouge on social media. More information about The Queen Baton Rouge is available online at www.thequeenbr.com.
About The Queen Casino & Entertainment, Inc.
The Queen Casino & Entertainment Inc.’s expanding gaming portfolio includes DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois; Casino Queen Marquette in Marquette, Iowa; and Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge and Belle of Baton Rouge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A thriving regional gaming company, The Queen Casino & Entertainment is owned by Standard General L.P. More information about The Queen Casino & Entertainment is available on the website at www.thequeengaming.com.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings’ mission is to make life more exciting by responsibly creating the world’s favorite real-money games and betting experiences. DraftKings Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail sports betting operations pursuant to regulations in 23 states and in Ontario, Canada. The Company operates iGaming pursuant to regulations in 5 states and in Ontario, Canada under its DraftKings brand and pursuant to regulations in 3 states under its Golden Nugget Online Gaming brand. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 44 states, certain Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom. DraftKings is both an official daily fantasy and sports betting partner of the NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR and UFC, as well as an official daily fantasy partner of NASCAR, an official sports betting partner of the NBA and an authorized gaming operator of MLB. Launched in 2021, DraftKings Marketplace is a digital collectibles ecosystem designed for mainstream accessibility that offers curated NFT drops and supports secondary-market transactions. In addition, DraftKings owns and operates Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and content company. DraftKings is committed to being a responsible steward of this new era in real-money gaming with a company-wide focus on responsible gaming and corporate social responsibility.
Forward-Looking Statements
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