Introduction to Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019
Illinois slot machine casino gambling consists of ten riverboat casinos, the second U.S. state to offer them, as well as video gaming terminals (VLTs) in small businesses approved by local governments.
As the clock ticked and Illinois prepared for the renewed restrictions, the some were greeted with a huge shock as they pulled into the parking lot at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines and found a lit.
Illinois’ riverboat casinos have both minimum and maximum payout limits and monthly return statistics publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Illinois*
The minimum legal gambling age in illinois does not depend upon the gambling activity:
- Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 21
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
The Illinois Riverboat Gambling Act enacted in February 1990 legalized riverboat gambling on open water outside of Cook County. This restriction protected wagering on horseracing in the Chicago area, approved in 1927.
Since 1990, Illinois has offered only ten gaming licenses for riverboat casinos. Originally, riverboat casinos in Illinois had to cruise, but a new state law in 1999 allowed permanent docking.
Each riverboat is legally authorized to have up to a total of 1,200 gaming machines including positions available at table games. The Illinois Gaming Board assumes each craps table offers ten positions while all other table games and keno offer only five gaming positions.
In 2005, the Illinois state legislature established an admissions tax of $2 or $3. Admission is $2 at Jumer’s Casino Rock Island and $3 at all the other riverboat casinos. Illinois riverboat casinos also has restricted hours of operation, closing for two hours each day, usually around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
In 2009, the Illinois state legislature passed the Video Gaming Act, allowing video gaming terminals in “Licensed Retail Establishments, Truck Stops, Veteran and Fraternal Establishments.”
The Act also offered local municipalities the ability to opt-out of hosting these video gaming terminal locations. Nevertheless, it took until 2012 for the Illinois Gaming Board to provide mass approvals for these video gaming licenses to many license applicants.
The Illinois Gaming Board hosts a website with extensive and thoroughly detailed descriptions of its state gambling laws for Casino Gambling and Video Gaming.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Illinois
In Illinois, it is legal to own a slot machine privately if manufactured 25 or more years ago.
Gaming Control Board in Illinois
The Illinois Gaming Board provides gaming regulations and tax collection for slot machine gambling activities in Illinois. It also has gaming control commissions for other forms of gambling including the Illinois Lottery and the Illinois Racing Board.
Further, the Illinois Casino Gaming Association (ICGA) represents nine of the ten riverboat casinos. The ICGA provides statistics on charitable giving by the riverboat casinos as well as supporting responsible gaming.
Casinos in Illinois
There are ten riverboat casinos in Illinois.
The largest casino in Illinois is Hollywood Casino Joliet with 1,177 gaming machines, 20 table games, and five poker tables.
The second-largest casino is Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino with 1,172 gaming machines, 21 table games, and five poker tables.
Commercial Casinos in Illinois
The ten riverboat casinos in Illinois are:
- Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino located 158 miles south of Peoria and across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.
- Casino Queen in East St. Louis located 165 miles south of Peoria and across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.
- Grand Victoria Casino Elgin located 42 miles west of downtown Chicago.
- Harrah’s Joliet located 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
- Harrah’s Metropolis located in the southernmost tip of Illinois or 167 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri.
- Hollywood Casino Aurora located 42 miles west of downtown Chicago.
- Hollywood Casino Joliet located 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
- Jumer’s Casino & Hotel in Rock Island located 101 miles northwest of Peoria on the Mississippi River border to Iowa.
- Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria located three miles northwest of Peoria.
- Rivers Casino in Des Plaines located 20 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
In November 2019, 7,149 retail locations in Illinois offered video lottery terminals. In total, there are 33,019 active VLT gaming machines. Given riverboat casinos have at most 1,200 slot machines each, VLTs at local businesses equate to nearly 30 casinos of a similar size.
Tribal Casinos in Illinois
Illinois has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes. Therefore, there are no tribal casinos in Illinois.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Illinois slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Illinois is:
- North: Wisconsin Slots
- East: Indiana Slots
- Southeast: Kentucky Slots
- West: Iowa Slots and Missouri Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Illinois.
Our Illinois Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Illinois? If so, join our new Illinois slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Illinois. Join us!
Payout Returns in Illinois
Illinois has established payout limits of 80% and 100% over the lifetime of a slot machine. Further, the Illinois Gaming Board provides monthly return statistics for Casino Gaming as well as for Video Gaming.
The November 2019 report on return statistics for the month of October at the ten riverboat casinos of Illinois include the following Player Win%:
- Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino: 90.94%
- Casino Queen: 91.57%
- Grand Victoria Casino Elgin: 90.97%
- Harrah’s Joliet: 92.24%
- Harrah’s Metropolis: 89.17%
- Hollywood Casino Aurora: 90.14%
- Hollywood Casino Joliet: 91.15%
- Jumer’s Casino & Hotel: 90.18%
- Par-A-Dice Casino: 91.06%
- Rivers Casino: 90.47%
Obtain player win percentages from the report by subtracting the entry for Electronic Gaming Device Adjusted Gross Return Percentage (EGD AGR %) from 100%.
In the month of October 2019, the statewide player win percentage was 90.91%. The highest payout return was Harrah’s Joliet at 92.24% while the lowest was Harrah’s Metropolis at 89.17%
For VLTs, the statewide player win percentage was 91.7%. Detailed monthly reports at Video Gaming Revenue Reports offer the player win percentage at each of the more than 7,000 retail businesses with VLTs. To determine the win percentage for where you play VLTs, divide Amount Won by Amount Played in the VGT Wagering Activity section.
Summary of Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019
Illinois slot machine casino gambling consists of ten riverboat casinos and VLT electronic gaming machines at 7,149 local businesses such as bars, restaurants, and other licensed non-casino locations.
How Many Slot Machines At Rivers Casino In Illinois Casinos
Minimum and maximum legal limits for slot machines are 80% and 100%, respectively, over the lifetime of the game. Further, monthly return statistics are publicly available.
Annual Progress in Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In November 2019, there were 7,149 VLT locations with a total of 33,019 VLTs, a 12.4% increase in locations and a 16.7% increase in terminals from the previous year. Annual income tax revenue from gaming increased by nearly 17%. This tax income increase included a share of $83M for local municipalities which offer video gaming.
Up to six new casinos may come to the Chicago area, including a Hard Rock Casino in the city of Rockford. Submitted casino proposals arrived at the Illinois Gaming Board in October 2019.
Further, in November 2019, the Illinois Gaming Board approved Rivers Casino to no longer be a riverboat casino. Instead, it has become a land-based casino with unlimited slots and table games. Other Illinois riverboat casinos will also become land-based casinos as part of a planned massive gambling expansion.
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Idaho Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: Indiana Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
While casinos in Las Vegas reopened a week ago and Indiana prepares to welcome back gamblers Monday, it's no dice, yet, for the 10 gambling houses in Illinois.
How Many Slot Machines At Rivers Casino In Illinois Right Now
Illinois Gaming Board officials said Thursday the timing and conditions for the resumption of casino gambling is still unknown, but they will be based on public health guidance and the framework of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan.
The state ordered all casinos closed March 16 amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
'Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois Gaming Board are mindful of the hardship and dire economic disruption this pandemic is causing for our industry, our licensees, their employees, and communities and families across Illinois,' board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said during a board meeting Thursday. 'We are committed to the safe, fair, deliberate, consistent and regulatory compliant resumption of casino and video gaming when health conditions permit.'
Also Thursday, the board took steps to shore up a promised new state revenue source -- sports betting -- once casinos reopen. At as much as $10 million a pop, four-year master sports wagering licenses were doled out to seven casinos, including Rivers in Des Plaines, Grand Victoria in Elgin, Hollywood in Aurora and Joliet, Par-A-Dice in East Peoria, Argosy in Alton and Casino Queen in East St. Louis.
The state's three horse racing tracks -- Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney and Fairmount Park in Collinsville -- also have applied for sports betting licenses, but they haven't yet been approved. Other major sporting venues are also eligible, while online-only sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings have to wait 18 months, under terms of the state gambling expansion approved a year ago.
With a temporary license in hand, Rivers was less than a week into taking bets at its new sportsbook in early March when the temporary closure began.
Thursday marked the first meeting -- held by videoconference -- of the appointed state regulatory panel since January, with other meetings canceled due to the coronavirus.
Earlier in the week, the state agency released a set of protocols casinos must follow to obtain approval to resume operations. It includes 6-foot social distancing requirements; the availability and use of face masks and personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes; and cleaning of touch surfaces, table game areas, dice, chips and cards.
Temperature checks will be required upon entry to casinos, which would be limited to 50% occupancy to start. For now, what won't be permitted is buffets, poker rooms, table game tournaments or any other promotions that require patrons to cluster.
Each casino must submit its own resumption plan to the gaming board for approval, officials said.
While protocols vary from state to state, Illinois' most lucrative casino, Rivers in Des Plaines, may follow some of the procedures of its sister casino in Pittsburgh, which reopened Tuesday.
Gamblers arrived to find plexiglass dividers between sports betting kiosks, social distancing decals near craps tables, only three seats per blackjack table, every other slot machine available, and 140 hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes stations.
In addition, a 'Rivers Clean Team' regularly wipes down slot machines, and the casino, normally open 24/7, closes early weekday mornings for a deep-clean.