Consolidating Condensed Financial Information - Statements of Operations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Revenues:
Gaming									$ 997,613,000		$ 932,894,000		$ 834,857,000
Food and beverage									69,383,000		64,414,000		55,152,000
Other									74,200,000		61,300,000		58,600,000
Total revenues	275,784,000	295,853,000	289,414,000	280,146,000	265,732,000	275,898,000	263,204,000	253,732,000	1,141,198,000		1,058,568,000		948,626,000
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming									563,889,000		530,841,000		497,530,000
Food and beverage									69,646,000		65,286,000		53,789,000
General and administrative and other									271,000,000		268,800,000		264,300,000
Depreciation and amortization									103,863,000		109,745,000		95,376,000
Write-downs, reserves, recoveries and impairments									4,200,000		31,800,000		34,300,000
Total expenses and other costs									1,012,588,000		1,006,383,000		945,259,000
Operating income (loss)	37,071,000	37,489,000	21,961,000	32,088,000	18,664,000	23,521,000	(15,596,000)	25,597,000	128,610,000		52,185,000		3,367,000
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0		0		0
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest									(95,705,000)		(103,093,000)		(70,327,000)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									(183,000)		(1,852,000)		(9,467,000)
Loss from equity method investment									(588,000)		0		0
Gain on sale of equity securities									0		0		12,914,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes									32,500,000		(52,500,000)		(63,400,000)
Management fee and inter company interest									0		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense)									(2,335,000)		11,693,000		284,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations	17,689,000	11,778,000	(5,193,000)	5,921,000	(3,560,000)	923,000	(40,706,000)	2,500,000	30,196,000		(40,841,000)		(63,051,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	7,279,000	(12,569,000)	(23,885,000)	(3,540,000)	(6,522,000)	(1,689,000)	(8,607,000)	34,243,000	(32,735,000)		17,422,000		(195,251,000)
Net income (loss)	24,968,000	(790,000)	(29,077,000)	2,361,000	(10,082,000)	(766,000)	(49,313,000)	36,743,000	(2,539,000)		(23,419,000)		(258,302,000)
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc [Member]
Revenues:
Gaming									0		0		0
Food and beverage									0		0		0
Other									100,000		400,000		100,000
Total revenues									100,000		400,000		100,000
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming									0		0		0
Food and beverage									0		0		0
General and administrative and other									37,400,000		42,800,000		56,500,000
Depreciation and amortization									3,400,000		5,300,000		5,400,000
Write-downs, reserves, recoveries and impairments									700,000		(5,900,000)		0
Total expenses and other costs									41,500,000		42,200,000		61,900,000
Operating income (loss)									(41,400,000)		(41,800,000)		(61,800,000)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									127,800,000		99,600,000		(126,400,000)
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest									(105,700,000)		(105,600,000)		83,900,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									(200,000)		(1,900,000)		(9,500,000)
Loss from equity method investment									0
Gain on sale of equity securities													6,000,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes									(19,500,000)		(49,700,000)		(275,600,000)
Management fee and inter company interest									(19,300,000)		(14,600,000)		(17,000,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)									(2,300,000)		11,700,000		300,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations									(2,500,000)		(23,400,000)		(258,300,000)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes									0		0		0
Net income (loss)									(2,500,000)		(23,400,000)		(258,300,000)
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Gaming									997,600,000	[1]	932,900,000	[1]	834,900,000	[1]
Food and beverage									69,400,000	[1]	64,400,000	[1]	55,200,000	[1]
Other									74,100,000	[1]	60,900,000	[1]	58,500,000	[1]
Total revenues									1,141,100,000	[1]	1,058,200,000	[1]	948,600,000	[1]
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming									563,900,000		530,800,000	[1]	497,500,000	[1]
Food and beverage									69,600,000	[1]	65,300,000	[1]	53,800,000	[1]
General and administrative and other									233,600,000	[1]	226,600,000	[1]	210,200,000	[1]
Depreciation and amortization									100,500,000	[1]	104,400,000	[1]	88,800,000	[1]
Write-downs, reserves, recoveries and impairments									3,500,000	[1]	38,100,000	[1]	25,600,000	[1]
Total expenses and other costs									971,100,000	[1]	965,200,000	[1]	875,900,000	[1]
Operating income (loss)									170,000,000	[1]	93,000,000	[1]	72,700,000	[1]
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0	[1]	2,100,000	[1]	(2,700,000)	[1]
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest									7,000,000	[1]	2,800,000	[1]	(13,700,000)	[1]
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Loss from equity method investment									0	[1]
Gain on sale of equity securities													0	[1]
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes									177,000,000	[1]	97,900,000	[1]	83,700,000	[1]
Management fee and inter company interest									15,900,000	[1]	14,600,000	[1]	17,000,000	[1]
Income tax benefit (expense)									0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Income (loss) from continuing operations									161,100,000	[1]	83,300,000	[1]	66,700,000	[1]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes									(32,900,000)	[1]	15,800,000	[1]	(197,900,000)	[1]
Net income (loss)									128,200,000	[1]	99,100,000	[1]	(131,200,000)	[1]
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Gaming									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Food and beverage									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Other									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Total revenues									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Food and beverage									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
General and administrative and other									0	[2]	(600,000)	[2]	(2,400,000)	[2]
Depreciation and amortization									0	[2]	100,000	[2]	1,200,000	[2]
Write-downs, reserves, recoveries and impairments									0	[2]	(500,000)	[2]	8,700,000	[2]
Total expenses and other costs									0	[2]	(1,000,000)	[2]	7,500,000	[2]
Operating income (loss)									0	[2]	1,000,000	[2]	(7,500,000)	[2]
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest									3,400,000	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									0	[2]			0	[2]
Loss from equity method investment									(600,000)	[2]
Gain on sale of equity securities													6,900,000	[2]
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes									2,800,000	[2]	1,000,000	[2]	(600,000)	[2]
Management fee and inter company interest									3,400,000	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Income tax benefit (expense)									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Income (loss) from continuing operations									(600,000)	[2]	1,000,000	[2]	(600,000)	[2]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes									200,000	[2]	1,600,000	[2]	2,700,000	[2]
Net income (loss)									(400,000)	[2]	2,600,000	[2]	2,100,000	[2]
Consolidating and Eliminating Entries [Member]
Revenues:
Gaming									0		0		0
Food and beverage									0		0		0
Other									0		0		0
Total revenues									0		0		0
Expenses and other costs:
Gaming									0		0		0
Food and beverage									0		0		0
General and administrative and other									0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization									0		0		0
Write-downs, reserves, recoveries and impairments									0		0		0
Total expenses and other costs									0		0		0
Operating income (loss)									0		0		0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									(127,800,000)		(101,700,000)		129,100,000
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest									0		0		0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									0		0	[2]	0
Loss from equity method investment									0
Gain on sale of equity securities													0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before inter-company activity and income taxes									(127,800,000)		(101,700,000)		129,100,000
Management fee and inter company interest									0		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense)									0		0		0
Income (loss) from continuing operations									(127,800,000)		(101,700,000)		129,100,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes									0		0		0
Net income (loss)									$ (127,800,000)		$ (101,700,000)		$ 129,100,000

[1] The following material subsidiaries are identified as guarantors of our senior and senior subordinated notes: ACE Gaming, LLC; AREP Boardwalk Properties LLC; Belterra Resort Indiana, LLC; Biloxi Casino Corp.; Boomtown, LLC; Casino Magic Corp.; Casino One Corporation; Louisiana-I Gaming; PNK (Baton Rouge) Partnership; PNK (BOSSIER CITY), Inc.; PNK Development 7, LLC; PNK Development 8, LLC; PNK Development 9, LLC; PNK Development 13, LLC; PNK (ES), LLC; PNK (LAKE CHARLES), L.L.C.; PNK (Ohio), LLC; PNK (Ohio) II, LLC; PNK (Ohio) III, LLC; PNK (RENO), LLC; PNK (River City), LLC; PNK (STLH), LLC; and PNK (ST. LOUIS RE), LLC. In addition, certain other immaterial subsidiaries are also guarantors of our senior and senior subordinated notes.

[2] PNK Development 11, LLC, which, as of December 31, 2011, held approximately $4.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, is our only material non-guarantor of our senior and senior subordinated notes. Other non-guarantor subsidiaries include, but are not limited to, a subsidiary with $10.5 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2011, a subsidiary that owns 26% of the equity interest of ACDL, and a subsidiary that owns $10.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.50% Notes.