Boyd Gaming Corp.’s Blue Chip Casino opened its 22-story hotel January 22 with a weekend-long party to celebrate the resort’s 250 new jobs and its potential to rival nearby Four Winds Casino Resort.

The $130 million hotel is the last phase of an expansion project that included a Blue Chip riverboat.

The Blue Chip is home to a 15,000-square-foot event center, a 10,000-square-foot spa and a Las Vegas-themed restaurant called “It’s Vegas Baby.”

Boyd spokesman David Strow said the company hopes the expansion will boost the resort’s revenues, which fell last year from $26.7 million to $16.1 million, in part because of the Four Winds casino opening.

By Casino Connection Staff