Note 16 - Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Total revenues		$ 833,131	$ 819,568	$ 846,132	$ 827,288	$ 791,623	$ 612,196	$ 616,793	$ 606,118	$ 3,326,119		$ 2,626,730	$ 2,400,819
Operating										1,736,217			1,263,921
Selling, general and administrative										459,583		369,313	362,037
Master lease rent expense										97,723		20,682	0
Maintenance and utilities										154,673		127,027	109,462
Depreciation and amortization										276,569		229,979	217,522
Corporate expense										105,139		104,201	88,148
Project development, preopening and writedowns										21,728		45,698	14,454
Other operating items, net										1,919		2,174	1,900
Intercompany expenses										0		0	0
Total operating costs and expenses										2,853,551		2,271,446	2,057,018
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries										0		0	0
Operating income		114,859	113,391	126,692	117,626	94,684	69,568	96,258	94,774	472,568		355,284	343,801
Interest expense, net										235,607		200,467	171,290
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt										34,949		61	1,582
Other, net										(114)		(276)	(184)
Total other expense (income), net										270,442		200,252	172,688
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes										202,126		155,032	171,113	[1]
Income tax provision										(44,490)		(40,331)	(3,115)
Net income		$ 24,296	$ 39,405	$ 48,484	$ 45,451	22,867	11,837	38,945	41,399	157,636		115,048	189,390
Comprehensive income (loss)										158,171		113,853	189,823
Operating												1,371,379
Impairment of assets										0		993	(426)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax										157,636		114,701	167,998
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax						$ 0	$ 0	$ 347	$ 0	0		347	21,392
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Total revenues										(102,091)		(102,179)	(92,657)
Operating										0			0
Selling, general and administrative										0		(11)	(42)
Master lease rent expense										0		0
Maintenance and utilities										0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization										0		0	0
Corporate expense										0		0	0
Project development, preopening and writedowns										0		0	0
Other operating items, net										0		0	0
Intercompany expenses										(102,091)		(102,168)	(92,615)
Total operating costs and expenses										(102,091)		(102,179)	(92,657)
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries										(437,979)		(310,349)	(329,337)
Operating income										(437,979)		(310,349)	(329,337)
Interest expense, net										0		0	0
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt										0		0	0
Other, net										0		0	0
Total other expense (income), net										0		0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes										(437,979)		(310,349)	(329,337)	[1]
Income tax provision										0		0	0
Net income										(437,979)		(310,349)	(329,337)
Comprehensive income (loss)										(438,514)		(309,154)	(329,770)
Operating												0
Impairment of assets												0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax												(310,349)	(329,337)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax												0	0
Parent Company [Member]
Net income												114,701	167,998
Parent Company [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Total revenues										84,144		83,508	73,292
Operating										0			0
Selling, general and administrative										0		13	44
Master lease rent expense										0		0
Maintenance and utilities										0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization										39,490		19,052	12,041
Corporate expense										100,919		100,844	85,362
Project development, preopening and writedowns										6,557		31,514	7,806
Other operating items, net										1,895		58	725
Intercompany expenses										203		203	1,204
Total operating costs and expenses										149,064		152,677	107,782
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries										438,736		311,701	330,711
Operating income										373,816		242,532	296,221
Interest expense, net										227,757		174,299	169,990
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt										34,949		61	1,582
Other, net										513		161	(16)
Total other expense (income), net										263,219		174,521	171,556
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes										110,597		68,011	124,665	[1]
Income tax provision										47,039		47,037	64,725
Net income										157,636		115,048	189,390
Comprehensive income (loss)										158,171		113,853	189,823
Operating												0
Impairment of assets												993	600
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax												115,048	189,390
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax												0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Total revenues										3,258,013		2,579,317	2,377,514
Operating										1,664,496			1,225,765
Selling, general and administrative										449,422		360,089	354,423
Master lease rent expense										97,723		20,682
Maintenance and utilities										153,324		125,667	108,092
Depreciation and amortization										224,612		203,570	201,401
Corporate expense										673		403	1,140
Project development, preopening and writedowns										6,128		4,043	2,758
Other operating items, net										24		2,116	1,175
Intercompany expenses										101,888		101,965	91,411
Total operating costs and expenses										2,698,290		2,132,358	1,986,166
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries										(757)		(1,352)	(1,374)
Operating income										558,966		445,607	389,974
Interest expense, net										1,381		1,192	1,275
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt										0		0	0
Other, net										(564)		(371)	(98)
Total other expense (income), net										817		821	1,177
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes										558,149		444,786	388,797	[1]
Income tax provision										(95,948)		(97,358)	(73,426)
Net income										462,201		347,428	315,371
Comprehensive income (loss)										462,736		346,233	315,804
Operating												1,313,823
Impairment of assets												0	1
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax												347,428	315,371
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax												0	0
Subsidiaries [Member]
Net income												16,589	4,464
Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Total revenues	[1]									0		0	0
Operating	[1]									0			0
Selling, general and administrative	[1]									0		0	0
Master lease rent expense										0	[1]	0
Maintenance and utilities	[1]									0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization	[1]									0		0	0
Corporate expense	[1]									0		0	0
Project development, preopening and writedowns	[1]									0		0	154
Other operating items, net	[1]									0		0	0
Intercompany expenses	[1]									0		0	0
Total operating costs and expenses	[1]									0		0	154
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	[1]									0		0	0
Operating income	[1]									0		0	(154)
Interest expense, net	[1]									0		0	0
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt	[1]									0		0	0
Other, net	[1]									0		0	0
Total other expense (income), net	[1]									0		0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	[1]									0		0	(154)
Income tax provision	[1]									0		0	0
Net income	[1]									0		347	21,238
Comprehensive income (loss)	[1]									0		347	21,238
Operating	[1]											0
Impairment of assets	[1]											0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax	[1]											0	(154)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	[1]											347	21,392
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries, 100% Owned [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Total revenues										86,053		66,084	42,670
Operating										71,721			38,156
Selling, general and administrative										10,161		9,222	7,612
Master lease rent expense										0		0
Maintenance and utilities										1,349		1,360	1,370
Depreciation and amortization										12,467		7,357	4,080
Corporate expense										3,547		2,954	1,646
Project development, preopening and writedowns										9,043		10,141	3,736
Other operating items, net										0		0	0
Intercompany expenses										0		0	0
Total operating costs and expenses										108,288		88,590	55,573
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries										0		0	0
Operating income										(22,235)		(22,506)	(12,903)
Interest expense, net										6,469		24,976	25
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt										0		0	0
Other, net										(63)		(66)	(70)
Total other expense (income), net										6,406		24,910	(45)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes										(28,641)		(47,416)	(12,858)	[1]
Income tax provision										4,419		9,990	5,586
Net income										(24,222)		(37,426)	(7,272)
Comprehensive income (loss)										(24,222)		(37,426)	(7,272)
Operating												57,556
Impairment of assets												0	(1,027)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax												(37,426)	(7,272)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax												0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries, Not 100% Owned [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Total revenues										0		0	0
Operating										0			0
Selling, general and administrative										0		0	0
Master lease rent expense										0		0
Maintenance and utilities										0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization										0		0	0
Corporate expense										0		0	0
Project development, preopening and writedowns										0		0	0
Other operating items, net										0		0	0
Intercompany expenses										0		0	0
Total operating costs and expenses										0		0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of subsidiaries										0		0	0
Operating income										0		0	0
Interest expense, net										0		0	0
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt										0		0	0
Other, net										0		0	0
Total other expense (income), net										0		0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes										0		0	0	[1]
Income tax provision										0		0	0
Net income										0		0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)										$ 0		0	0
Operating												0
Impairment of assets												0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax												0	0
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax												$ 0	$ 0

[1] Subsidiary is a 100% owned guarantor of the 6.375% Notes and is a 100% owned non-guarantor of the 6.000% Notes and 4.750% Notes.