Three days to a future-ready platform
LUCI completed a full retrofit of Ameristar Council Bluffs’ A/V infrastructure in under three days, modernizing a system that had run since 2012 and centralizing control on land to prepare the property for its next phase of growth.
Ameristar Council Bluffs Casino Council Bluffs, Iowa · Penn Entertainment
Operator
Penn Entertainment
Location
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Retrofit completed
Under 3 days
3
days to a full retrofit
12
years the prior system ran
1
data center (all processing on land)
0
new A/V rooms needed in the buildout
The challenge
A decade-old A/V system, aging equipment, and a major casino buildout on the way.
The approach
A full retrofit in under three days, with all A/V processing relocated to the data center on land.
The result
A unified, scalable platform built for the property’s next phase of growth.
A proven system, a bigger future
Ameristar Council Bluffs spans a land-based casino and a riverboat. Its A/V system was based on an early LUCI design that had been operating successfully since 2012.
Even after more than a decade of daily use, the original system continued to support property operations and guest experience demands. But the property was preparing for a new chapter: a major casino buildout on the land side and a planned transition away from the riverboat casino.
With years of ongoing upgrades, aging equipment, and that buildout approaching, Ameristar needed a more unified, scalable, and future-ready approach, one that could carry the property through its next phase of growth.
Modernize without disrupting the floor
LUCI’s goal was to modernize the property’s A/V foundation and position it for the transition ahead, without disrupting a floor that runs every day.
The defining move was location. As part of the upcoming transition away from the riverboat casino, LUCI relocated all new A/V processing equipment into the property’s IT data center on land. Since much of the previous system’s processing was located on the boat, this single move eliminated the need to design additional A/V rooms into the new buildout, helping reduce future construction and infrastructure costs.
The retrofit installation itself was completed in less than three days.
- Replaced the A/V head-end systems, amplifiers, and control infrastructure
- Relocated all new A/V processing into the property’s IT data center
- Completed a full conversion and modernization of the system documentation
The result is a streamlined platform designed for years of reliable, trouble-free operation, with simplified future maintenance and expansion.
Consolidation you can see
-
A/V processing on the riverboat one data center on land
All A/V processing moved from the boat to the IT data center on land — one location, not many.
-
A/V rooms in the buildout zero new rooms needed
Centralizing processing in the data center eliminated the need to design separate A/V rooms into the new construction.
-
Decade-old head-end one consolidated platform
The decade-old A/V head-end, amplifiers, and control infrastructure were replaced and consolidated onto the platform.
-
One login per system one browser-based interface
Staff now use one browser-based interface instead of separate tools for each A/V system.
“Well done, LUCI team! This was the best installation — so seamless.”
Facilities Manager Ameristar Council Bluffs
What the property gained
- One unified view of every endpoint
- Broader delegation by zone
- Faster response to daily needs
- Automated resets and scheduling
- Simpler maintenance and expansion
- Lower long-term infrastructure costs
The upgraded LUCI platform now provides unlimited operational users through any browser-based device, giving the property greater flexibility, broader delegation, and faster response times to daily operational needs.
Built-in automation features let the operations team perform daily system resets, scheduled adjustments, and system-wide changes with significantly less hands-on intervention.
And because the property now benefits from LUCI’s evolving feature set and software enhancements without additional upgrade licensing costs, the platform continues to grow alongside the casino’s future operational and guest experience needs.
Ameristar on LUCI today
146
Video endpoints
50
Audio zones
78
DTV channels
26
CMS/signage channels
One LUCI platform
Every endpoint, every zone, every channel — one interface.
Built for the moves ahead
With the system centralized on land, the property is set up for what comes next.
- The boat can sail. When the time comes, Ameristar can step away from the riverboat as a clean break, and keep running on LUCI.
- The new build can plug in. When the new construction opens, it runs on the platform already powering the property — no second install, no parallel system to stand up.
- Future growth is built in. As Ameristar expands, it can do so unobstructed — LUCI has removed the logistical variables and A/V complications that would otherwise pile up over time.
By modernizing the A/V infrastructure and centralizing system control, LUCI helped Ameristar Council Bluffs prepare for its next phase of growth, preserving operational reliability, improving efficiency, and reducing long-term infrastructure costs.
Curious what this looks like for your property? Let’s talk.
About LUCI
LUCI Systems is the orchestration engine for enterprise multimedia — A/V, signage, building, and operational infrastructure — from a single interface your team controls from anywhere. LUCI reduces the variables, hardware, and interfaces your team has to manage. When onsite experience and operational continuity are non-negotiable, LUCI delivers coordinated, real-time execution, end to end.