Consolidating Condensed Financial Information - Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 131,809,000		$ 88,683,000		$ 120,235,000
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(293,376,000)		(130,651,000)		(202,410,000)
Cash provided by financing activities	46,474,000		108,158,000		96,628,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0		(379,000)		(589,000)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(115,093,000)		65,811,000		13,864,000
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year	195,387,000		129,576,000		115,712,000
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	80,294,000		195,387,000		129,576,000
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(95,000,000)		(32,000,000)		(108,100,000)
Capital expenditures and other	(11,100,000)		(700,000)		(3,800,000)
Proceeds from equity securities					10,100,000
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(11,100,000)		(700,000)		6,300,000
Change in notes payable and other	46,400,000		108,200,000		96,600,000
Cash provided by financing activities	46,400,000		108,200,000		96,600,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0		0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(59,700,000)		75,500,000		(5,200,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year	77,000,000		1,500,000		6,700,000
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	17,300,000		77,000,000		1,500,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	190,400,000	[1]	160,700,000	[1]	226,800,000	[1]
Capital expenditures and other	(184,000,000)	[1]	(175,800,000)	[1]	(221,400,000)	[1]
Proceeds from equity securities					300,000	[1]
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(184,000,000)	[1]	(175,800,000)	[1]	(221,100,000)	[1]
Change in notes payable and other	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Cash provided by financing activities	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	[1]	0	[1]
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	6,400,000	[1]	(15,100,000)	[1]	5,700,000	[1]
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year	41,600,000	[1]	56,700,000	[1]	51,000,000	[1]
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	48,000,000	[1]	41,600,000	[1]	56,700,000	[1]
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(100,000)	[2]	(40,100,000)	[2]	1,500,000	[2]
Capital expenditures and other	(98,200,000)	[2]	45,900,000	[2]	(1,200,000)	[2]
Proceeds from equity securities					13,600,000	[2]
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(98,200,000)	[2]	45,900,000	[2]	12,400,000	[2]
Change in notes payable and other	36,500,000	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Cash provided by financing activities	36,500,000	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(400,000)	[2]	(600,000)	[2]
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(61,800,000)	[2]	5,400,000	[2]	13,300,000	[2]
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year	76,800,000	[2]	71,400,000	[2]	58,100,000	[2]
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	15,000,000	[2]	76,800,000	[2]	71,400,000	[2]
Consolidating and Eliminating Entries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	36,500,000		0		0
Capital expenditures and other	0		0		0
Proceeds from equity securities					0
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0		0		0
Change in notes payable and other	(36,500,000)		0		0
Cash provided by financing activities	(36,500,000)		0		0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0		0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year	0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	0		0		0
PNK Development II [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	10,500,000
Non Material Subsidiary [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	4,500,000
ACDL [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year	$ 15,000,000

[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.