Wild Rose Casino & Hotel Jefferson — Attraction in Jefferson

We visited the Jefferson Casino tonight 9/19/25 as a family to celebrate my husband's birthday. We had dinner at Lucky's, as far as the food went it was good, service was kind of slow but over all a good experience. After dinner we headed to the casino. I had to run our left overs out to the car and my son (21) accompanied me while my husband and our (24) son with high functioning Autism went to the casino. My son stopped and offered the woman at the desk his ID, she ran it and handed it back. She didn't say a word to him. He put it in his wallet and happily proceeded in as he was very excited to get in and play and she stops him and says he can't go in and asks my husband, not my son, if he has a 2nd form of ID. My husband said no why? And she said they usually need 2 forms of ID if someone is under 25. Neither of my sons have ever been asked for a 2nd form of ID from any other Casino and my husband told her that too. She then said he could go in. That rubbed my husband the wrong way off the bat. That is so rude to just act like my son isnt even there and ask his Dad, which she doesnt know us so why would she ask my husband and not my son about the ID. That is discrimination! Then my (21) son and I come back in and I went through to the Casino as my (21) son is getting his ID out of his wallet and stops at the same woman to have his ID checked. I went on with my (24) son to go play. I am in there for about 10 minutes and I get a call from my son that he can't get in. I came right up to the front and asked what was going on and I was told his ID didn't match. I said, match? Match what? There was a you g man who was up there and he told me the front doesnt match the back barcode. I said what does that even mean? He didn't know, he just said it didn't match. I said well its clearly a real ID, its not expired and the picture matches his face, can't you let him in, and they said no. So we drove from Fort Dodge, about 45 minutes for nothing. The thing that truly baffles me is, my son (21) has been to Prairie Meadows, The Isle, Meskwaki, flown on airplanes, rented cars, bought alcohol and not one single time has he ever been told his license isnt valid. This is asinine to me and we will make it a point to never return. Also the older blonde woman sitting at the ID check booth should really find a job where she doesnt have to work directly with the public because her customer service skills and attitude need a serious evaluation! She should also maybe be taught a little common courtesy when encountering those with special needs! Truly disappointing night that we had been looking forward...

I visited this casino Friday night 01/31/25 from Missouri. the first thing I noticed is they only allow drinks every 20 minutes. i thought that was odd but no big deal. i didn't break the rules in any way or form. i ordered my 4th drink at 11:30- 12:00AM. The bartender (Smaller girl with a lip ring and dark hair) told me shes "concerned with how much Ive had to drink" keep in mind that I haven't had anyone has complained or said i was a problem in any way. i told her its find and walked away. I then played blackjack on the same tables till the last bell for last call. A girl next to me said she was going to get drinks for everyone as we where in the middle of a shoe. the bartender then comes over to me and says shes cutting me off cause of how much Ive had. keep in mind everyone who has been on this table for an hour plus hasn't seen me drink anything. even the dealer thought it was strange. im in the middle of a hand and see she has security (stocky guy with blond hair) and the pit boss (tall skinny guy with blond hair and a hand tattoo) and are talking about me. i then became nervous as i don't know what i could have done. i basically threw that hand because of that. i bet 1 more hand. right as the dealer hands me my cards i notice the security and pit boss are right behind me staring at me. (i felt extremely intimidated by this) so i tried to talk to them but they forced me to finish my hand. so i basically threw another hand because of pressure and intimidation. after the hand they pulled me aside to "formally let me know i was cut off from drinking" by this point they are not even serving anyone so it seemed very extreme for the circumstances . the funny thing is the pit boss wanted me to keep playing like he didn't just ruin 2 games for me and my mood. Ive never been treated so poorly at a casino before and highly recommend to never...

I’ve always enjoyed the casino atmosphere and like playing the slots, and I’ve visited a large majority of the casinos across Iowa. I understand gambling is a risk — some days you win, some you don’t — but after several trips to Wild Rose, I can confidently say the odds here are some of the worst I’ve experienced.

They do offer good member incentives to draw you back, but even with $200 in free play, it’s just not worth the 30-minute drive. On my last visit, I used $200 in free play, played $3 spins, and got one bonus round with 18 spins — which paid out a grand total of $4.25. Outside of that, nothing. The machines simply don’t seem to pay out like they do at other area casinos.

The restaurant is decent with a solid menu and rarely a wait, but nothing special. The hotel feels similar to a Microtel — not terrible, but definitely below average for a casino property.

I know it’s gambling, and luck plays a big role, but based on multiple visits, Wild Rose just isn’t worth it. I’d recommend driving a little farther to another casino where your money (and time)...