<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001186747-09-000020
<TYPE>3
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>2
<PERIOD>20090521
<FILING-DATE>20090526
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20090526
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>SPADAFOR CHRISTINE J.
<CIK>0001463238
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>3
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-12882
<FILM-NUMBER>09852950
</FILING-VALUES>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>3883 HOWARD HUGHES PARKWAY
<STREET2>NINTH FLOOR
<CITY>LAS VEGAS
<STATE>NV
<ZIP>89169
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>BOYD GAMING CORP
<CIK>0000906553
<ASSIGNED-SIC>7990
<IRS-NUMBER>880242733
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>NV
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>3883 HOWARD HUGHES PARKWAY
<STREET2>NINTH FLOOR
<CITY>LAS VEGAS
<STATE>NV
<ZIP>89169
<PHONE>7027927200
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>3883 HOWARD HUGHES PARKWAY
<STREET2>NINTH FLOOR
<CITY>LAS VEGAS
<STATE>NV
<ZIP>89169
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>BOYD GROUP
<DATE-CHANGED>19941130
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>3
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0203</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-05-21</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000906553</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BOYD GAMING CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>BYD</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001463238</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SPADAFOR CHRISTINE J.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>3883 HOWARD HUGHES PARKWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>NINTH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LAS VEGAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NV</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>89169</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes></footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Brian A. Larson, Attorney-in-Fact for Christine J. Spadafor</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-05-22</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>attach_1.htm
<TEXT>
POWER OF ATTORNEY For Executing Forms 3, 4 and 5  Know all by
these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
Brian A. Larson or Paul J. Chakmak, signing singly, as the undersigned's
true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority as hereinafter
described to: (1) prepare, execute, deliver and file for and on behalf of the
undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of
Boyd Gaming Corporation (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4 and 5 in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
and the rules thereunder as amended from time to time (the "Exchange
Act"); (2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and
execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5, including any electronic filing thereof,
complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and
timely file such form with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority; and (3) seek
or obtain, as the undersigned's representative and on the undersigned's
behalf, information on transactions in the Company's securities from
any third party, including brokers, employee benefit plan administrators
and trustees, and the undersigned hereby authorizes any such person
to release any such information to the undersigned and approves and
ratifies any such release of information; and (4) take any other action
of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing which, in the
opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest
of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being understood that the
documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned
pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain
such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion. The undersigned hereby grants to each such
attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform any and every
act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary and proper to be done in the
exercise of any of the rights and powers hereby granted, as fully to all
intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally
present, with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying
and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's
substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted. The
undersigned acknowledges that the responsibility to file the Forms 3, 4
and 5 are the responsibility of the undersigned, and the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange
Act. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that the attorneys-
in-fact and the Company are relying on written and oral information
provided by the undersigned to complete such forms and the undersigned is
responsible for reviewing the completed forms prior to their filing.  The
attorneys-in-fact and the Company are not responsible for any errors
or omissions in such filings. The attorneys-in-fact and the Company
are not responsible for determining whether or not the transactions
reported could be matched with any other transactions for the purpose
of determining liability for short-swing profits under Section 16(b). This
Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect for as long as the
undersigned is required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the
Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed
writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact. IN WITNESS
WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 21st day of May, 2009. /s/ Christine J.Spadafor.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21st day of May, 2009.
/s/ E. Gae Joyce. Notary Public No. 99-3677-1 in and for the
County of Clark, State of Nevada. My Commission Expires
4-19-2011.
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
