The holidays proved to be “the most wonderful time of the year for Illinois casinos,” including the state’s newest gambling venues according to a recent report from Chicago. Casino revenue hit its high-water mark in December, boosted by the first full month of operations at Wind Creek Chicago Southland and continued growth at the recently opened Hard Rock Rockford permanent casino. Revenues, however, were roughly flat at Bally’s Chicago, which completed its first full year at the temporary Medinah Temple facility with another tepid month. Additionally, the report notes, that the state’s 16 casinos generated $157 million in adjusted gross receipts – up 11% over December 2023 – and drew nearly 1.25 million visitors last month, according to data published earlier this month by the Illinois Gaming Board.
In this article, SBS will be going over the latest news and notes coming from Illinois along with some additional thoughts and information you can find only at SBS.
Per the same report, Rivers Casino Des Plaines remained the state’s busiest casino in December with $43 million in adjusted gross receipts and 264,000 visitors, but newcomers are making their mark on the Illinois gambling landscape. Wind Creek, the new south suburban casino which opened Nov. 11th to long lines and high expectations, ranked fourth in revenue last month with $11.2 million in adjusted gross receipts and was second in admissions with nearly 136,000 visitors.
Moreover, Hard Rock Rockford, which moved from a temporary facility to a $300 million permanent casino in late August, ranked second in December with $12.1 million in revenue and 118,000 visitors, according to Gaming Board data. Also, the glitzy new Rockford casino, which features expanded gaming, seven restaurants, and a 1,600-seat concert venue, made a big splash during its first full month in September, generating $13.7 million in revenues.
“We’re still living off the high from our grand opening,” Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford said in a report. “Probably the number one comment when people walk in is that I can’t believe that this is in Rockford.” Bally’s Chicago ranked fifth in revenue at $10.3 million in adjusted gross receipts and fourth in admissions with 108,000 visitors, making December one of its weakest months of 2024.
For the year, Illinois casinos generated $1.69 billion in revenue – up 11% over 2023 – with more than 13 million admissions, according to Gaming Board data. Rivers was the state’s top-billing casino in 2024 with $516 million in adjusted gross receipts, followed by Grand Victoria in Elgin at $139 million and Bally’s Chicago at $125 million. Bally’s was projected to be a much bigger player in 2024 – despite the limitations of its temporary facility at Medinah Temple per the same report.
Opened in September 2023, Bally’s has invested $70 million to convert the historic River North facility, once the home of the annual Shrine Circus, into a temporary casino with 1,000 gaming positions. Additionally, Bally’s plans to open its $1.7 billion permanent facility at the former Chicago Tribune printing plant site in River West in September 2026.
Also noted in the same article, in its annual budget, the city projected Bally’s would generate nearly $243 million in adjusted gross receipts at the temporary casino in 2024, yielding about $35 million in local gaming taxes. Additionally, Bally’s Chicago made it about halfway to the city’s target, generating $125 million in revenue and $16 million in local taxes last year, according to Gaming Board data. Admissions to Bally’s Chicago ranked second in the state last year with 1.36 million visitors.
“Our guests won more than $71 million in jackpots this year, including $1.1 million between Christmas and New Year’s, and we finished the year on a strong note as December AGR grew 21% year-over-year and 5.8% over the month prior,” a Bally’s spokesperson said in a recent press release. In May 2022, Rhode Island-based Bally’s was selected to build Chicago’s first casino, besting proposals from finalists Rivers Casino and Hard Rock. The Bally’s Chicago proposal includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants, and 4,000 gaming positions, making it the largest casino in the state.
Additionally, the report says, Bally’s and the city are banking on the permanent casino to significantly boost its standing as a tourist magnet and profit center and further diversify the area.
After you are all caught up to speed in relation to the latest gaming updates and news coming from Illinois, make sure to check out the excellent array of info for you only at SBS. Of course, for even more info on the state covered here, the sports betting in Illinois guide has your back with all of the latest updates coming from the Prairie State. On a separate note, for those looking to diversify their payment options, look no further than the payment methods rundown. On this page, you can explore all kinds of deposit and withdrawal options from crypto to more traditional banking routes and beyond. Finally, for those those looking for some higher-stakes wagering, look no further than the VIP sports betting sites breakdown where eligible customers are able to explore the potential benefits of VIP wagering.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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