Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
DE SHAW LAMINAR PORTFOLIOS LLC
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
RIVIERA HOLDINGS CORP [RIV]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director __X__ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) __X__ Other (specify below)
See Footnote 1.
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45, 120 WEST FORTY-FIFTH STREET
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/31/2006
(Street)

NEW YORK, NY 10036
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 03/31/2006   S   50,000 D $ 16.95 1,219,900 D (1)  

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
DE SHAW LAMINAR PORTFOLIOS LLC
39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45
120 WEST FORTY-FIFTH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
    X   See Footnote 1.
SHAW D E & CO L P /NY/
39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45
120 WEST FORTY-FIFTH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
    X   See Footnote 1.
D E SHAW & CO LLC
39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45
120 WEST FORTY-FIFTH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
    X   See Footnote 1.
SHAW DAVID E
39TH FLOOR, TOWER 45
120 WEST FORTY-FIFTH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
    X   See Footnote 1.

Signatures

 D. E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios, L.L.C., By: D. E. Shaw & Co., L.L.C., as managing member, By: /s/ Julius Gaudio, Managing Director   04/04/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P., By: /s/ Julius Gaudio, Managing Director   04/04/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 D. E. Shaw & Co., L.L.C., By: /s/ Julius Gaudio, Managing Director   04/04/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 David E. Shaw, By: /s/ Julius Gaudio, Attorney-in-Fact for David E. Shaw   04/04/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) As noted above, on March 31, 2006, D. E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios, L.L.C. ("Laminar") disposed of 50,000 shares of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Issuer to which this form relates. As a result of this transaction, the Reporting Owners are no longer subject to Section 16. The Common Stock is now held or managed directly as follows: (i) Laminar holds 1,194,500 shares; (ii) D. E. Shaw Valence Portfolios, L.L.C. ("Valence") holds 25,200 shares; and (iii) 200 shares are under the management of D. E. Shaw Investment Management, L.L.C. ("DESIM"), which has dispositive control over, but no voting rights with respect to, the shares.

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