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Casino Review – The Riviera
The Riviera is a large, busy casino on the lower end of Black Hawk. It offers around 750 slots and video poker machines, and has 9 tables with a variety of games. There is no poker room at this time. It has a spacious indoor parking garage (500 spaces), with the main entrance to the casino on the 3rd level. There’s also valet parking on the ground level.
There is no hotel, so you’ll need to stay somewhere else if that’s what you’re looking for. This “Riv” is affiliated with the “Riviera” establishment in Las Vegas, but their slot clubs are NOT integrated – your Las Vegas Riviera card will not work in Black Hawk.
The best feature of the Riviera as far as I’m concerned is the buffet on the second floor. It ranks #1 in my book for quality and selection. There is also a Pizza Hut outlet on the first floor.
The Riviera has a large entertainment venue on the second floor and offers a variety of shows and events on a regular basis. Be sure to check their schedule if you’re planning a trip and want to include a “show” of some kind.
There are some shortcomings in other areas of the Riviera that I need to mention. The slot club desk is always mobbed – I’ve waited as long as 20 minutes in a line there. A casino this large needs multiple slot club desks. The bar (there is only one) always seems understaffed. One bartender is not enough for a video poker bar with 25+ seats is it? The staff in general is very friendly and hard working, but again it seems like often times there just aren’t enough of them. Finally, they need to update their video poker machines. While there is a good (not great) selection, they need some multi-denomination units installed. I’m also a big fan of the new “ticket-in / ticket-out” technology, and the Riv needs to get it fully implemented asap, as not all the machines have this feature installed.
Overall, I do recommend a visit to the Riviera, especially for table players and buffet enthusiasts. It’s a great place to park and if it’s too crowded inside just walk on through on your way to nearby places. Remember, it will be a downhill stroll later in the evening when you come back, and maybe by then the staffing levels will better match the numbers of customers.
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