Missouri AP Guide
Ameristar Casino Slot Machines
Ameristar Casino Resort Spa is a Boyd Gaming flagship property on the Missouri River in St. Charles — one of the largest gaming floors in the Midwest and a key stop on the Missouri AP circuit. This guide covers the floor, machine families, B Connected tier mechanics, and the Missouri casino landscape. Access all 200 machine guides with a Run the Slots membership.
Ameristar Casino Floor Overview
Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles is a Boyd Gaming property located at 1 Ameristar Blvd on the Missouri River in St. Charles, Missouri — approximately 25 miles west of downtown St. Louis. Boyd Gaming operates the Ameristar brand and all slot play earns toward B Connected (Boyd Rewards), the same loyalty account used at IP Casino Biloxi, Gold Strike Tunica, Sam's Town Las Vegas, and other Boyd Gaming properties nationwide.
Ameristar St. Charles is the flagship of the Ameristar brand and consistently ranks among the highest-grossing casino properties in Missouri. The gaming floor is boat-based under Missouri's excursion gambling vessel framework and is commonly cited at approximately 2,000 slot machines across the main floor and high-limit areas. The property draws from the greater St. Louis metro area, Illinois visitors crossing the river, and Kansas City-to-St. Louis corridor traffic.
Boyd Gaming also operates Ameristar Council Bluffs in Iowa, which serves the Omaha metro market and runs the same B Connected program. The multi-property structure means AP players who visit both locations earn toward the same national tier account — a meaningful advantage for building toward higher B Connected status thresholds.
AP Machine Families at Ameristar Casino
Ameristar Casino carries a machine mix consistent with Boyd Gaming's national purchasing pattern. Aristocrat and IGT are strongly represented. Key AP machine families to target on the floor walk:
Dragon Link (Aristocrat)
Dragon Link banks are a primary AP scouting target at Ameristar. Boyd Gaming properties receive regular Aristocrat inventory refreshes, and a floor of Ameristar's scale typically carries multiple Dragon Link configurations. Weekend traffic from the St. Louis metro area drives rapid coin-in accumulation on Dragon Link banks — making Monday morning walkthroughs the highest-value window for elevated progressive states.
Lightning Link (Aristocrat)
Lightning Link is prominently placed at Ameristar and is a standard AP scouting target. Always confirm the must-hit-by ceiling on the machine glass at each visit — ceiling values can change with software updates and do not always match values seen at other Boyd properties or previous visits to the same location.
Buffalo Family (Aristocrat)
Buffalo titles drive strong coin-in at Midwest casino properties. Buffalo Link banks are standard AP targets at Ameristar St. Charles and should be included in every floor sweep. The Midwest audience has high Buffalo brand affinity, producing consistent accumulation between your visits.
Must-Hit-By Progressives (IGT & Others)
IGT has strong representation across Boyd Gaming properties. Wheel of Fortune linked progressives and standalone IGT must-hit-by titles are standard features at Ameristar. Check meter states on each walkthrough and confirm ceiling values on the glass rather than relying on memory from prior visits.
Floor Scouting Tips for Ameristar Casino
- Weekend volume driver: Ameristar St. Charles draws heavily from the St. Louis metro area and Illinois markets across the river. Friday and Saturday evening coin-in peaks are significant. Monday morning walkthroughs capture the highest accumulated progressive states from the weekend traffic cycle.
- Missouri casino circuit: Ameristar St. Charles is the largest property in the St. Louis market. River City Casino (Station Casinos, South St. Louis County) and Hollywood Casino St. Louis (Penn Entertainment, formerly Lumiere) are viable same-day companion stops. A St. Louis circuit covering all three properties takes 2–3 hours of drive and walkthrough time.
- Missouri gaming environment: Missouri Gaming Commission regulations govern excursion gambling vessel properties. Advantage play techniques — reading visible meters, scouting progressive bank states, and playing elevated must-hit-by machines — are not prohibited under Missouri gaming law.
- Cross-property Boyd strategy: Ameristar Kansas City (approximately 4 hours west on I-70) earns the same B Connected account. AP players building toward higher Boyd tier thresholds can combine a St. Charles visit with a Kansas City visit on the same trip, counting all play toward the same tier credit total.
B Connected Rewards & Comp Strategy
B Connected (Boyd Rewards)
Card enrollment — 30+ Boyd Gaming properties
B Connected is the loyalty program for all Boyd Gaming properties including Ameristar St. Charles, Ameristar Council Bluffs, IP Casino Biloxi, Gold Strike Tunica, Sam's Town Las Vegas, and other Boyd properties nationwide. Tier credits and reward credits earned at any Boyd property count toward the same account — making the program significantly more valuable for AP players who visit multiple Boyd locations.
B Connected Platinum & Elite
Higher tier benefits
Higher B Connected tiers — Platinum and Elite — provide enhanced free play conversion rates, priority check-in, and stronger promotional mailer offers across the Boyd network. For AP players running the Missouri, Gulf Coast, and Mid-South markets, B Connected tier credit accumulates across Ameristar, IP Biloxi, Gold Strike Tunica, and other Boyd properties toward the same annual tier threshold.
Present your B Connected card at every session at Ameristar Casino to ensure tier credits accumulate correctly. The cross-property Boyd Gaming network is one of the most geographically broad loyalty programs for Midwest AP players.
Missouri Casino Circuit
River City Casino & Hotel
South St. Louis County, MOStation Casinos — Boarding Pass rewards. Modern facility with high machine density serving South St. Louis County. Dragon Link, Buffalo, and Lightning Link. Natural same-day companion stop to Ameristar St. Charles for a St. Louis circuit.
Hollywood Casino St. Louis
Maryland Heights, MOPenn Entertainment — mychoice rewards. The former Lumiere Place; rebranded but same floor location on the St. Louis waterfront. mychoice tier credits count toward Hollywood properties nationwide.
Ameristar Casino Kansas City
Kansas City, MO (4 hrs west)Boyd Gaming — earns B Connected (same account as Ameristar St. Charles). Strong Aristocrat floor. Kansas City market anchor. Combine with St. Charles for maximum B Connected tier credit accumulation on a Missouri road trip.
IP Casino Biloxi
Biloxi, MS (7 hrs south)Boyd Gaming — earns B Connected (same account as Ameristar). Gulf Coast B Connected earning destination. Combine Ameristar St. Charles play with IP Biloxi visits to advance the same Boyd tier faster across two regional circuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ameristar Casino good for advantage play?
Ameristar St. Charles is one of the strongest AP destinations in the Missouri market. As a Boyd Gaming flagship property, Ameristar carries a current machine inventory with deep Aristocrat progressive bank penetration. The property draws from both the Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas — a large combined market that drives heavy weekend coin-in volume. B Connected tier credits earned here count toward the same national Boyd account as IP Biloxi, Gold Strike Tunica, and Sam's Town, making the program especially valuable for multi-region AP players.
What are the best slot machines at Ameristar Casino?
The top AP machine families at Ameristar Casino include Dragon Link and Lightning Link (Aristocrat) linked progressive banks, the full Buffalo family including Buffalo Link, and must-hit-by standalone progressives from IGT and other manufacturers. Boyd Gaming properties consistently receive strong Aristocrat inventory. Always confirm must-hit-by ceiling values on the machine glass during your floor walk — do not assume values match other visits or other Boyd properties.
How does B Connected (Boyd Rewards) work at Ameristar?
Ameristar is a Boyd Gaming property and all slot play earns toward the B Connected loyalty program. Tier credits and reward credits earned at Ameristar St. Charles or Council Bluffs count toward the same account as IP Casino Biloxi, Gold Strike Tunica, Sam's Town properties, and every other Boyd Gaming casino nationwide. Higher B Connected tiers — Platinum and Elite — provide enhanced free play conversion rates, priority check-in, and improved promotional mailer offers across the Boyd network. For AP players who visit multiple Boyd properties, the cross-property credit accumulation makes B Connected tier strategy especially efficient.
What is the Ameristar St. Charles vs. Council Bluffs difference for AP?
Ameristar St. Charles (Missouri) is the larger flagship property, typically operating one of the biggest gaming floors in the Midwest with approximately 2,000 slot machines. It draws from the St. Louis metro area and benefits from higher weekend traffic volume. Ameristar Council Bluffs (Iowa) serves the Omaha metro market. Both properties run the same B Connected loyalty program. For AP players, St. Charles is the primary target for progressive accumulation given its larger floor and higher coin-in volume — but both properties earn toward the same B Connected tier account, so visits to either advance the same program status.
Does Missouri gaming regulation permit advantage play?
Missouri Gaming Commission regulations govern excursion gambling vessel properties. Advantage play techniques — reading visible machine meters, identifying elevated progressive states, and playing above-threshold must-hit-by progressives — are not prohibited under Missouri gaming law. Ameristar St. Charles operates as a boat-based casino under Missouri's excursion gambling vessel framework. Confirm jackpot ceiling values on the machine glass, as Missouri properties may display these on eligible machines.
What is the Missouri / Kansas City casino AP circuit?
The Missouri casino market forms a natural AP circuit across several properties. Ameristar St. Charles is the St. Louis market anchor. Hollywood Casino St. Louis (Penn Entertainment, formerly Lumiere Place) provides a second St. Louis stop. The Kansas City market includes Ameristar Kansas City (same B Connected account) and Harrah's North Kansas City (Caesars Rewards). River City Casino in South St. Louis County rounds out the Missouri circuit. A Missouri multi-property circuit covering 3–4 properties in one region takes 2–4 hours of drive and walkthrough time depending on the market.