Consolidating Condensed Financial Information - Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements
Subsidiary reporting information, assets		$ 38,300
Revenues:
Gaming		520,841	$ 514,347
Food and beverage		31,995	32,030
Lodging		11,247	11,495
Retail, entertainment and other		15,942	14,967
Total revenues		580,025	572,839
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming		267,133	264,885
Food and beverage		29,910	29,167
Lodging		5,608	5,788
Retail, entertainment and other		4,513	5,090
General and administrative		104,862	102,290
Depreciation and amortization		54,096	67,831
Pre-opening, development and other costs		5,329	1,567
Write-downs, reserves and recoveries, net		2,890	3,144
Total expenses and other costs		474,341	479,762
Operating income		105,684	93,077
Interest expense, net		(59,793)	(61,083)
Loss from equity method investment		0	(83)
Income tax expense		(4,998)	(4,832)
Income from continuing operations		40,893	27,079
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		125	217
Net income		41,018	27,296
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.
Revenues:
Gaming		0	0
Food and beverage		0	0
Lodging		0	0
Retail, entertainment and other		0	0
Total revenues		0	0
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming		0	0
Food and beverage		0	0
Lodging		0	0
Retail, entertainment and other		0	0
General and administrative		23,300	22,300
Depreciation and amortization		2,000	4,300
Pre-opening, development and other costs		5,300	1,400
Write-downs, reserves and recoveries, net		0	3,000
Total expenses and other costs		30,600	31,000
Operating income		(30,600)	(31,000)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		102,700	88,300
Interest expense, net		(59,800)	(61,100)
Loss from equity method investment			0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes		12,300	(3,800)
Management fee and inter-company interest		33,700	35,900
Income tax expense		(5,000)	(4,800)
Income from continuing operations		41,000	27,300
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0	0
Net income		41,000	27,300
100% Owned Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Gaming	[1]	520,800	514,400
Food and beverage	[1]	32,000	32,000
Lodging	[1]	11,300	11,500
Retail, entertainment and other	[1]	15,900	14,900
Total revenues	[1]	580,000	572,800
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming	[1]	267,100	264,900
Food and beverage	[1]	29,900	29,200
Lodging	[1]	5,600	5,800
Retail, entertainment and other	[1]	4,500	5,100
General and administrative	[1]	81,600	79,900
Depreciation and amortization	[1]	52,100	63,500
Pre-opening, development and other costs	[1]	0	100
Write-downs, reserves and recoveries, net	[1]	2,900	200
Total expenses and other costs	[1]	443,700	448,700
Operating income	[1]	136,300	124,100
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	[1]	0	0
Interest expense, net	[1]	0	0
Loss from equity method investment	[1]		0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes	[1]	136,300	124,100
Management fee and inter-company interest	[1]	(33,700)	(35,900)
Income tax expense	[1]	0	0
Income from continuing operations	[1]	102,600	88,200
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	[1]	100	200
Net income	[1]	102,700	88,400
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Gaming	[2]	0	0
Food and beverage	[2]	0	0
Lodging	[2]	0	0
Retail, entertainment and other	[2]	0	0
Total revenues	[2]	0	0
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming	[2]	0	0
Food and beverage	[2]	0	0
Lodging	[2]	0	0
Retail, entertainment and other	[2]	0	0
General and administrative	[2]	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	[2]	0	0
Pre-opening, development and other costs	[2]	0	0
Write-downs, reserves and recoveries, net	[2]	0	0
Total expenses and other costs	[2]	0	0
Operating income	[2]	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	[2]	0	0
Interest expense, net	[2]	0	0
Loss from equity method investment	[2]		(100)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes	[2]	0	(100)
Management fee and inter-company interest	[2]	0	0
Income tax expense	[2]	0	0
Income from continuing operations	[2]	0	(100)
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	[2]	0	0
Net income	[2]	0	(100)
Consolidating and Eliminating Entries
Revenues:
Gaming		0	0
Food and beverage		0	0
Lodging		0	0
Retail, entertainment and other		0	0
Total revenues		0	0
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming		0	0
Food and beverage		0	0
Lodging		0	0
Retail, entertainment and other		0	0
General and administrative		0	0
Depreciation and amortization		0	0
Pre-opening, development and other costs		0	0
Write-downs, reserves and recoveries, net		0	0
Total expenses and other costs		0	0
Operating income		0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		(102,700)	(88,300)
Interest expense, net		0	0
Loss from equity method investment			0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes		(102,700)	(88,300)
Management fee and inter-company interest		0	0
Income tax expense		0	0
Income from continuing operations		(102,700)	(88,300)
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0	0
Net income		(102,700)	(88,300)
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. Consolidated
Revenues:
Gaming		520,800	514,400
Food and beverage		32,000	32,000
Lodging		11,300	11,500
Retail, entertainment and other		15,900	14,900
Total revenues		580,000	572,800
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming		267,100	264,900
Food and beverage		29,900	29,200
Lodging		5,600	5,800
Retail, entertainment and other		4,500	5,100
General and administrative		104,900	102,200
Depreciation and amortization		54,100	67,800
Pre-opening, development and other costs		5,300	1,500
Write-downs, reserves and recoveries, net		2,900	3,200
Total expenses and other costs		474,300	479,700
Operating income		105,700	93,100
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries		0	0
Interest expense, net		(59,800)	(61,100)
Loss from equity method investment			(100)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes		45,900	31,900
Management fee and inter-company interest		0	0
Income tax expense		(5,000)	(4,800)
Income from continuing operations		40,900	27,100
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		100	200
Net income		$ 41,000	$ 27,300

[1] he following material subsidiaries are identified as guarantors of our senior and senior subordinated notes: Belterra Resort Indiana, LLC; Boomtown, LLC; Casino Magic, LLC; Louisiana-I Gaming; PNK (Baton Rouge) Partnership; PNK (BOSSIER CITY), LLC; PNK Development 7, LLC; PNK Development 8, LLC; PNK Development 9, LLC; PNK (LAKE CHARLES), L.L.C.; PNK (Ohio), LLC; PNK (Ohio) II, LLC; PNK (Ohio) III, LLC; PNK (River City), LLC; PNK (SAM), LLC; PNK (SAZ), LLC; Ameristar Casino Black Hawk, LLC; Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs, LLC; Ameristar Casino St. Charles, LLC; Ameristar Casino Kansas City, LLC; PNK Vicksburg, LLC; Cactus Pete’s, LLC; Ameristar East Chicago Holdings, LLC; and Ameristar Casino East Chicago, LLC. In addition, certain other immaterial subsidiaries are also guarantors of our senior and senior subordinated notes.

[2] Guarantor subsidiaries of our senior and senior subordinated notes exclude subsidiaries with approximately $38.3 million in cash and other assets as of March 31, 2016, that include a subsidiary that owns a majority interest in the licensee of Retama Park Racetrack and certain other subsidiaries.