Illinois Casinos

Illinois entered commercial casino gaming in 1990, authorizing riverboat gambling on the state’s navigable waterways at the same time as Iowa. The Illinois Gaming Board was established to issue and regulate a set of casino licenses distributed across geographic zones. Most of those licenses have since transitioned from operating boats to permanent land-based structures, though the regulatory framework still carries the riverboat-era license classifications.

The state’s 13 commercial casinos cluster in two geographic regions. The Chicago metropolitan ring contains the highest-revenue properties: Rivers Casino in Des Plaines near O’Hare, the Fox River corridor properties in Elgin and Aurora, and Joliet’s unusual concentration of three competing casinos 35 miles southwest of downtown. Downstate, a series of river-town casinos spans from the Quad Cities in the north to East St. Louis and Metropolis at the southern tip. Illinois has no tribal gaming — all casinos operate under commercial licenses issued by the Illinois Gaming Board. Unlike neighboring states like Indiana and Iowa, which have both tribal and commercial operations.

The Chicago-Area Casino Circuit

The Chicago metropolitan market supports six casino properties spread across the northwest suburbs, the Fox River valley, and the Joliet corridor south of the city. The competition among these properties is the most concentrated in the state.

Chicago-area and Joliet casino properties

R

Rivers Casino Des Plaines

Des Plaines

G

Grand Victoria Casino Elgin

Elgin

Poker Room

H

Hollywood Casino Aurora

Aurora

Poker Room

H

Hollywood Casino Joliet

Joliet

Poker Room

H

Harrah’s Joliet

Joliet

Poker Room

E

Empress Casino Hotel

Joliet

Grand Victoria Casino Elgin operates on the Fox River in Elgin, northwest of Chicago in Kane County. It is one of the older Illinois licenses, and like most Illinois casinos has moved from an operating boat to a land-based configuration. Hollywood Casino Aurora is also Fox River-adjacent, in Aurora, the second-largest city in Illinois. Both serve the western and northwestern suburban Chicago market and compete for players who might otherwise drive to Rivers in Des Plaines or make the trip to Indiana’s Horseshoe Hammond.

Joliet’s three casinos — Hollywood Casino Joliet (Penn Entertainment), Harrah’s Joliet (Caesars Entertainment), and Empress Casino Hotel — sit in the same city and compete directly for the same market. The south-side Chicago suburbs (Orland Park, Tinley Park, Bolingbrook) and the Will County resident market are the primary audience. All three operate full gaming floors with slot machines and table games. The concentration means visitors can compare properties in a single trip and take advantage of competing promotions and loyalty programs.

Downstate River Properties

Downstate Illinois river-town casino properties

C

Casino Queen

East St Louis

P

Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino

East Peoria

J

Jumer’s Casino & Hotel

Rock Island

Hotel · Poker Room

A

Argosy Casino Alton

Alton

H

Harrah’s Metropolis

Metropolis

24/7 · Poker Room

Casino Queen in East St. Louis sits directly across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It draws from both the Illinois side of the metro and from Missouri visitors who cross the river for the casino — a dynamic similar to Iowa’s Council Bluffs market serving Omaha. Missouri has its own riverboat casino corridor on the Missouri River, but Casino Queen serves the St. Louis city-adjacent market at the bridge crossing. Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria serves the Peoria metropolitan market as central Illinois’s casino option. The property includes a hotel alongside the gaming floor.

Jumer’s Casino and Hotel in Rock Island is the Illinois Quad Cities casino, operating on the Iowa-Illinois border where Isle Casino Bettendorf sits across the Mississippi. Argosy Casino Alton in Alton, a short drive north of St. Louis, is another southern Illinois river property. Harrah’s Metropolis in Metropolis is the southernmost Illinois casino, positioned in the far southern tip of the state near the Kentucky border and drawing from western Kentucky and southern Illinois residents.

★ Editor-in-Chief · Casino Perspectives

Best Land-Based Casinos, By Visitor Profile

Rachel Mendoza

Editor, California Cardrooms

🌆 For Chicago Visitor

Best casino for Chicago-area visitors

Rivers Des Plaines vs. Joliet: Distance and Scale

"Chicago-area visitors have a real choice. Rivers Casino Des Plaines is the fastest option from the north side, northwest suburbs, or O'Hare — 20 to 30 minutes from most of the northwest suburbs on I-90. It is the largest property by revenue and has the most active poker room. Joliet is the better option from the south side and south suburbs — Hollywood Casino Joliet and Harrah's Joliet are about 40 to 50 minutes from the Loop via I-55. The three competing Joliet casinos mean you get market-rate game variety and competing promotions in one stop. Pick Rivers for north-side convenience and poker; pick Joliet for south-side access and the novelty of three properties in one trip."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor, California Cardrooms

🎲 For Joliet Day-Tripper

Which Joliet casino to visit

Three Casinos, One City: How to Choose

"Joliet's three casino situation is unusual enough that it affects how you approach a visit. All three — Hollywood Casino Joliet, Harrah's Joliet, and Empress Casino Hotel — are within a short drive of each other and run comparable gaming floors. Hollywood is a Penn Entertainment property with a full table game menu. Harrah's is a Caesars brand, which matters if you have a Caesars Rewards account. Empress has historically been the smaller of the three. If loyalty program points are a factor, start with whichever brand you use. If you have no brand affiliation, Hollywood and Harrah's are the primary choices. A full Joliet day trip can include two or three properties without much logistical effort."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor, California Cardrooms

🌉 For St. Louis-Area Visitor

Best casino from St. Louis

Casino Queen: Across the Bridge from Downtown

"St. Louis has its own Missouri riverboat casino corridor, but visitors on the Illinois side of the metro use Casino Queen in East St. Louis as the immediate cross-river option. Casino Queen is at the foot of the Poplar Street Bridge connecting St. Louis and Illinois. For a full resort-casino experience from St. Louis, the Missouri side (Lumiere Place, Ameristar St. Charles, and others along the Missouri River) offers more options. Casino Queen functions as a local neighborhood option for East St. Louis and the Illinois metro more than as a destination resort."

Rachel Mendoza · Editor, California Cardrooms

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Illinois Gambling Law and Regulation

The Illinois Gaming Board regulates all 13 commercial casinos under the original riverboat gambling license framework updated by the 2019 gaming expansion. The 2019 act also authorized a Chicago casino license that is in development. Sports betting operates under the same regulatory umbrella. Illinois has no tribal casino gaming.

Quick Visitor Reference

• From downtown Chicago: Rivers Casino Des Plaines (~25 min northwest via I-90); Joliet (~40 min southwest via I-55)
• From O’Hare Airport: Rivers Casino Des Plaines (~15 min)
• From the south suburbs (Orland Park, Tinley Park): Hollywood Casino Joliet or Harrah’s Joliet (~20 min)
• From Peoria: Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino is in East Peoria
• From the Quad Cities (Davenport, IA): Jumer’s Casino and Hotel, Rock Island
• From St. Louis, MO: Casino Queen, East St. Louis (~10 min across the bridge)
• Best poker room: Rivers Casino Des Plaines
• Most casinos in one city: Joliet (three properties)
• Sports betting: Legal statewide — retail and mobile
• Minimum age: 21 at all Illinois casinos