By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The St. Joseph Frontier Casino is celebrating 30 years of operation the St. Joseph Community
General Manager Don Wren says it's very special to be able to celebrate such a milestone
" I think being able to be in an environment like this for 30 years in a small little town, to be able to not only have the guests come in and enjoy the environment and the entertainment we provide, but also being able to work with the community and all the vendors that we're able to employ, in addition to the employees, I think it's some of the most rewarding stuff, it really is," Wren tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
The casino that sits on the Missouri River is the second smallest in the state and was one of four original casinos that opened when riverboat gambling was legalized in 1993.
Director of Gaming Operations Becky Boyles says it has been difficult through the years.
"We did have a flood in 2011, and that water stayed in a long time, so we were out of work for a long time," Boyles says. "But we did have a great opportunity to spend a lot of our time representing the casino in the community during that event."
The casino rebranded following the 2011 flood and rebranded once more in 2019 following another flood. Boyles, whose worked at the casino for 25 years, says it has been challenging.
"We have always been able to with a strong core group of long-term employees to pull it through," Boyles says.
Boyles says through the years the casino has seen a lot of evolution in the gaming industry
"When I first started I came up through table games and we had table games from the front door all the way back to the men's room and in that time that I've been here we've transitioned more away from live table games into a wide variety of slot machines, because slot machines are really where it's at," Boyles explains.
"But over the years we've been able to provide one of the main staples of entertainment in the St. Joseph area."
The casino recently underwent a massive renovation to the gaming floor Wren says the reception to the renovations has been very positive
"I think that the property was a little outdated, you know we had already remodeled the pavilion and then it just didn't really match with the boat," Wren points out. "But if you look at the history of the property, it's been through two major floods, it's been through several owners, and it's just gotten better every single time."
Wren says that's a product of the community and the people they work with at the casino that helps the casino continue to get better through the years.
The casino is also celebrating the anniversary with its patrons, offering a chance to win entries to spin a wheel and earn up to 300-thousand dollars through the 29th. More information HERE.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.