Operator News
US – Illinois Gaming Board approves two Hollywood Casinos relocations
By Phil - 4 May 2023
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has approved plans for Penn Entertainment’s plans to move its two suburban Chicago casinos, Hollywood Casino Aurora and Hollywood Casino Joliet to make them more accessible.
Hollywood Casino Aurora will relocate from its site on a downtown island in the Fox River to a land-based location near the Chicago Premium Outlets mall and the Fermilab campus. The $360m development will have a casino with 900 slots and 50 tables, along with a 200-room hotel, bars and restaurants, meeting space, and an event center.
Hollywood Casino Joliet, currently on a riverboat on the Des Plaines River southwest of Will County city, will move to a $185m land-based casino in the Rock Run Crossings development at the intersection of Interstates 80 and 55. The casino will boast 800 slots and 45 tables, including a baccarat room, a Barstool Sportsbook, bars and restaurants, meeting space, and an event center.
“Today’s approval of the relocation proposals for the Hollywood Aurora and Hollywood Joliet
Casinos are a significant step in the regulatory process to bring new gaming venues to these host
communities,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “The IGB will work with Penn
Entertainment as it moves through the regulatory process to ensure these relocated casino venues
are constructed, opened and operated in an efficient, ethical and compliant manner.”
The IGB also adopted a new rule requiring responsible gambling signage at all video gaming locations statewide, granted more than 400 new gaming licenses and related approvals along with renewals of existing licenses, issued a license to sportsbook operator Circa Sports, and adopted a rule clarifying video gaming annual fees.
Illinois is home to 12 casinos, more than 8,300 licensed video gaming establishments and nine sportsbooks. Casino gambling, video gaming and sports wagering generated more than $1.4bn in tax revenue to the state and local communities in calendar year 2022.
