v2.4.0.6
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Income Statements) (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Sep. 30, 2012
Jun. 30, 2012
Mar. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Sep. 30, 2011
Jun. 30, 2011
Mar. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenues $ 625,842 $ 613,279 $ 615,222 $ 633,083 $ 606,674 $ 590,215 $ 574,403 $ 564,946 $ 2,487,426 $ 2,336,238 $ 2,140,899
Costs and Expenses                      
Operating                 1,397,591 1,289,634 1,189,439
Selling, general and administrative                 452,926 394,991 369,217
Maintenance and utilities                 155,016 153,512 140,722
Depreciation and amortization                 214,332 195,343 199,275
Corporate expense                 50,719 48,962 48,861
Preopening expense                 11,541 6,634 7,459
Impairments of assets                 1,053,526 6,051 0
Other operating items, net                 6,650 14,058 4,713
Total operating costs and expenses                 3,342,301 2,103,134 1,959,686
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries                 0 0 (8,146)
Operating income (loss) (1,038,044) 48,348 58,239 76,582 54,846 68,164 61,990 48,104 (854,875) 233,104 189,359
Other expense (income):                      
Interest expense                 288,835 250,685 180,553
Fair value adjustment of derivative instruments                 0 265 480
(Gain) loss on early retirements of debt                 0 14 (2,758)
Other income                 137 (11,582) (12,535)
Other non-operating expenses                 0 0 3,133
Total other expense, net                 (288,972) (239,382) (168,873)
Income (loss) before income taxes                 (1,143,847) (6,278) 20,486
Income taxes                 220,772 (1,721) (8,236)
Net income (loss)                 (923,075) (7,999) 12,250
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest                 14,210 4,145 (1,940)
Net income (loss) attributable to Boyd Gaming Corporation (899,898) (15,796) 977 5,852 (491) 3,109 (2,951) (3,521) (908,865) (3,854) 10,310
Comprehensive income (loss)                 (918,498) 3,563 18,666
Parent
                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenues                 138,926 149,168 134,190
Costs and Expenses                      
Operating                 0 0 0
Selling, general and administrative                 0 0 0
Maintenance and utilities                 0 0 0
Depreciation and amortization                 7,984 8,371 11,955
Corporate expense                 86,084 95,847 83,437
Preopening expense                 1,207 907 1,580
Impairments of assets                 97,868    
Other operating items, net                 15,575 6,054 4,456
Total operating costs and expenses                 208,718 111,179 101,428
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries                 929,465 (75,144) (65,159)
Operating income (loss)                 (999,257) 113,133 97,921
Other expense (income):                      
Interest expense                 174,345 151,931 118,585
Fair value adjustment of derivative instruments                   265 480
(Gain) loss on early retirements of debt                   20 (2,758)
Other income                 0 (7,000) 0
Other non-operating expenses                     0
Total other expense, net                 (174,345) (145,216) (116,307)
Income (loss) before income taxes                 (1,173,602) (32,083) (18,386)
Income taxes                 264,737 28,229 28,696
Net income (loss)                 (908,865) (3,854) 10,310
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest                 0 0 0
Net income (loss) attributable to Boyd Gaming Corporation                 (908,865) (3,854) 10,310
Comprehensive income (loss)                 (909,827) 3,740 20,842
Guarantor Subsidiaries
                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenues                 1,689,284 1,550,197 1,501,899
Costs and Expenses                      
Operating                 940,450 848,973 835,489
Selling, general and administrative                 296,840 258,026 265,376
Maintenance and utilities                 92,312 89,092 87,499
Depreciation and amortization                 126,121 118,621 129,693
Corporate expense                 368 147 59,710
Preopening expense                 15,438 16,356 0
Impairments of assets                 1,044,112    
Other operating items, net                 (5,503) 1,602 68
Total operating costs and expenses                 2,510,138 1,332,817 1,377,835
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries                 (535) 1,345 (47,393)
Operating income (loss)                 (820,319) 216,035 171,457
Other expense (income):                      
Interest expense                 634 687 731
Fair value adjustment of derivative instruments                   0 0
(Gain) loss on early retirements of debt                   0 0
Other income                 0 (4,582) (12,535)
Other non-operating expenses                     3,133
Total other expense, net                 (634) 3,895 8,671
Income (loss) before income taxes                 (820,953) 219,930 180,128
Income taxes                 (50,745) (34,349) (32,838)
Net income (loss)                 (871,698) 185,581 147,290
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest                 0 0 0
Net income (loss) attributable to Boyd Gaming Corporation                 (871,698) 185,581 147,290
Comprehensive income (loss)                 (871,698) 185,581 147,290
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (100% Owned)
                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenues                 111,921 55,767 58,860
Costs and Expenses                      
Operating                 85,419 57,620 54,984
Selling, general and administrative                 16,931 10,023 8,858
Maintenance and utilities                 4,281 2,255 4,256
Depreciation and amortization                 15,963 2,914 4,741
Corporate expense                 1,631 1,194 9,295
Preopening expense                 5,552 0 7,523
Impairments of assets                 0    
Other operating items, net                 3,081 3 197
Total operating costs and expenses                 132,858 74,009 89,854
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries                 (87,151) 0 0
Operating income (loss)                 66,214 (18,242) (30,994)
Other expense (income):                      
Interest expense                 18,630 0 (6)
Fair value adjustment of derivative instruments                   0 0
(Gain) loss on early retirements of debt                   0 0
Other income                 (91,128) 0 0
Other non-operating expenses                     0
Total other expense, net                 72,498 0 6
Income (loss) before income taxes                 138,712 (18,242) (30,988)
Income taxes                 5,501 5,652 (27)
Net income (loss)                 144,213 (12,590) (31,015)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest                 0 0 0
Net income (loss) attributable to Boyd Gaming Corporation                 144,213 (12,590) (31,015)
Comprehensive income (loss)                 144,213 (12,590) (31,015)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Not 100% Owned)
                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenues                 697,118 730,274 580,140
Costs and Expenses                      
Operating                 371,722 383,041 298,966
Selling, general and administrative                 139,155 126,942 94,983
Maintenance and utilities                 58,423 62,165 48,967
Depreciation and amortization                 64,264 65,437 52,886
Corporate expense                 0 0 0
Preopening expense                 240 (10,629) 0
Impairments of assets                 2,811    
Other operating items, net                 (6,503) 6,399 (8)
Total operating costs and expenses                 630,112 633,355 495,794
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries                 0 0 0
Operating income (loss)                 67,006 96,919 84,346
Other expense (income):                      
Interest expense                 95,226 98,067 61,243
Fair value adjustment of derivative instruments                   0 0
(Gain) loss on early retirements of debt                   (6) 0
Other income                 0 0 0
Other non-operating expenses                     0
Total other expense, net                 (95,226) (98,061) (61,243)
Income (loss) before income taxes                 (28,220) (1,142) 23,103
Income taxes                 1,279 (1,253) (4,067)
Net income (loss)                 (26,941) (2,395) 19,036
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest                 0 0 0
Net income (loss) attributable to Boyd Gaming Corporation                 (26,941) (2,395) 19,036
Comprehensive income (loss)                 (21,402) 1,573 14,920
Eliminations
                      
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]                      
Net revenues                 (149,823) (149,168) (134,190)
Costs and Expenses                      
Operating                 0 0 0
Selling, general and administrative                 0 0 0
Maintenance and utilities                 0 0 0
Depreciation and amortization                 0 0 0
Corporate expense                 (37,364) (48,226) (103,581)
Preopening expense                 (10,896) 0 (1,644)
Impairments of assets                 (91,265)    
Other operating items, net                 0 0 0
Total operating costs and expenses                 (139,525) (48,226) (105,225)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries                 (841,779) 73,799 104,406
Operating income (loss)                 831,481 (174,741) (133,371)
Other expense (income):                      
Interest expense                 0 0 0
Fair value adjustment of derivative instruments                   0 0
(Gain) loss on early retirements of debt                   0 0
Other income                 91,265 0 0
Other non-operating expenses                     0
Total other expense, net                 (91,265) 0 0
Income (loss) before income taxes                 740,216 (174,741) (133,371)
Income taxes                 0 0 0
Net income (loss)                 740,216 (174,741) (133,371)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest                 14,210 4,145 (1,940)
Net income (loss) attributable to Boyd Gaming Corporation                 754,426 (170,596) (135,311)
Comprehensive income (loss)                 $ 740,216 $ (174,741) $ (133,371)