BATON ROUGE - It's time to take a gamble and visit Bally's Baton Rouge to find out if the real jackpot is the destination at a downtown casino development aimed at broadening the city’s mix of gaming, dining and overnight stays.

It’s a place that will make you feel lucky as you step inside a facility that invites you to test your hand at 800 slot machines or 25 table games.

“We have a little bit of everything. We’ve brought Bacharach downtown, we have the new games, the old games. In our main casino, we have no smoking, but then we have a smoking terrace in embers where people can enjoy that as well,” said Lisa Tompkins, digital marketing from Bally's corporation. 

The casino floor invites you to play a range of games from familiar classics to newer digital-style games. Sports betting anchors another corner of the property. The DraftKings Sportsbook features a 46-foot-wide video screen, drawing fans who want to track live games while placing wagers.

Beyond cards and slots, Bally’s includes an unexpected feature: a tucked-away bowling venue with two private lanes that can be reserved by guests. Casino officials say the addition reflects a push to offer experiences beyond traditional gaming.

“It’s kind of like a little speakeasy, but for a bowling alley. We have two lanes, private lanes, that anyone can book... and you can bowl in a casino, which I think is so rare and so different," Tompkins said.

Food is also central to the Bally’s footprint. The Dining Depot, set inside the building’s former train depot, nods to the site’s history while housing three dining concepts, including an oyster bar and a pizzeria. Additional dining options, such as the Terrace Café, give guests a place to step away from the casino floor.

“Our Dining Depot pays homage to all the history within this building since it was an old train depot, having our oyster bar, Shucks, and our pizzeria,” Tompkins said.

For those who decide to stay overnight, Bally’s Baton Rouge offers 242 hotel rooms, allowing visitors to extend an evening downtown into a longer stay.

Whether you come to play or you come to stay, Bally's is adding a new level of entertainment to downtown Baton Rouge.