Nearly 1,000 attended a party held before the public grand opening. On Octothe nearly 1,400-passenger boat was the scene of a celebration of its grand opening. In October 1995 the original boat was replaced by a larger vessel carrying the same name and owned by the same company.
Replacing the DUBUQUE CASINO BELLE on May 18, 1994, the first Diamond Jo with a passenger limit of about 700 people was owned by the Greater Dubuque Riverboat Entertainment Company. The Diamond Jo was the second floating casino in Dubuque County.
