Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort Rebranding With Elite Acquisition
Posted on: November 21, 2025, 09:07h.
Last updated on: November 21, 2025, 09:17h.
- Elite Casino Resorts expects its acquisition of Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity to close in January 2026
- The properties will be rebranded as the Great River Casino Resort
Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort in Iowa’s Burlington is being rebranded.
In August, Casino.org reported on Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts’ agreement to purchase Catfish Bend and FunCity from businessman Randy Winegard. Terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed, as both entities are privately held.
Elite announced this week that the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGA) had signed off on the transaction. Returning Catfish Bend to the Elite portfolio is a full-circle moment for the company’s founders and longtime owners, the Kehl family, as they operated the original Catfish Bend riverboat in the early 1990s.
“This is a meaningful day for our family,” said Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts. “Returning to Burlington feels like coming home.”
With the IRGA’s blessing, Elite expects to close the Catfish Bend and FunCity deal on Jan.27, 2026. Elite is controlled by the Kehls, but the company is employee-owned, with the company reporting more than 1,200 unitholders.
Catfish Rebranding
Once the sale of the casino and family-friendly entertainment park is fully executed, Catfish Bend, which became a land-based casino in 2007 following Winegard’s buying of the boat from the Kehls, and FunCity, will be rebranded. Elite Casino Resorts says the Burlington destination will become the Great River Casino Resort.
The Great River Casino Resort name reflects the pride we have in this community and its strong river heritage,” said Kehl.
Elite officials say all employees at Catfish Bend and FunCity will be offered continued employment. Those interested in pursuing new roles will be afforded training and development programs.
We look forward to collaborating with local stakeholders as we transition to the Great River Casino Resort and continue supporting the communities that make this region special,” Kehl added.
Catfish Bend is a 30K-square-foot gaming facility with 600 slot machines, 18 table games, a sportsbook, a poker room, and a high-limit room. FunCity includes 241 guestrooms with 14 food and beverage options, a bowling alley, an indoor go-kart track, laser tag, and an arcade.
Elite Territory
Following its unsuccessful legal challenge to allow a $275 million casino resort to be built in Cedar Rapids, which is expected to most negatively impact Elite’s Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Kehl’s company turned its focus to southeastern Iowa. Elite’s purchase of Catfish Bend will provide the company with a larger regional footprint.
Catfish secures southeast Iowa and complements Elite’s Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport near the Illinois border. From Riverside, roughly 35 miles south of Cedar Rapids, east to the Illinois border and south to Missouri, Elite will have three casinos come next year. The lone competition in that wide area is Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, a property managed by Caesars Entertainment.
No comments yet