Casino Windsor was the first casino in the Detroit area. It operated from a temporary location, the Art Gallery of Windsor (which forced the art museum to a shopping mall - an unpopular choice at the time, but it brought art to the masses and ended up benefiting the museum). It was hugely popular, so they decided to open a satellite location a block or two away on a riverboat to satisfy customer demand.

The Northern Belle stayed anchored to the shore.

A massive permanent casino and hotel were built further upstream, and the boat was closed and the art gallery restored to its home. It was later renamed Caesars Windsor.

Seeing all that money crossing the border, Detroit voters approved three casinos for the Motor City that still operate.