The casinos in Illinois saw a dip in revenue for August compared to July. But the numbers were much better than they were 12 months earlier when restrictions related to COVID-19 kept admissions down, affecting Illinois gambling just as it did throughout the country.
The 10 commercial casinos in the state combined for $107.9 million in August in total adjusted gross receipts – the total derived from adding table games revenue and electronic gaming devices revenue. EGDs brought in $80.9 million in August while table games collected $27 million.
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That $107.9 million figure was a 10.2% decline from July, when the casinos drew $120.2 million in total AGR, according to figures from the Illinois Gaming Board.
In a year-over-year comparison, the picture was much brighter. August’s numbers were 23.5% higher than August 2020, when the casinos made $87.4 million in total combined revenue.
For the calendar year, Illinois casinos have made more than $758 million in eight months from EGD and table games combined.
Breakdown of Illinois Casino Revenue
The Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago near O’Hare Airport, led the state in August with $41.43 million in total revenue. Rivers drew $25.85 million from EGDs and $15.6 million from table games. Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, about 40 miles from downtown Chicago, was second at $13.6 million in AGR, followed by Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel at nearly $13 million.
The other seven casinos in the state all brought in somewhere between $3 million and $9 million for the month. They are: Argosy Casino Alton, DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Harrah’s Metropolis Casino on the southern border with Kentucky, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Hollywood Casino Joliet, Jumer’s Casino & Hotel in Rock Island and the Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria.
Progress of Illinois iGaming
In June, proponents of making iGaming legal in the state discussed with the General Assembly the economic benefits of having online casinos in Illinois.
HB3142 was referred to the Rules Committee on March 27. The General Assembly is next set to convene on Oct. 19, according to the state government website.
In May, the state eased restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus, allowing public facilities such as casinos and stadiums to increase capacity as more people get vaccinated.
