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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Hollywood Casino Aurora ranked third in Illinois for revenue after a full month as a land-based resort.
- The property generated $17.4 million in July.
Hollywood Casino Aurora’s move from riverboat to land-based casino is already showing up in the numbers.
In its first full month at the new $360 million facility, the property generated $17.4 million in revenue and ranked third among Illinois casinos.
The July performance offers one of the clearest early signs yet of how Illinois’ shift away from riverboat gaming can reshape the state leaderboard. PENN Entertainment says the new Aurora property is drawing both new customers and higher-value hotel guests.
Hollywood Casino Aurora opened land-based casino on June 24
Hollywood Casino Aurora opened its new land-based entertainment complex on June 24. According to Illinois Gaming Board data cited by the Daily Herald, the casino welcomed nearly 156,000 visitors during its first full month of operation.
That was enough to place the property No. 3 among Illinois’ 17 casinos in July. Before the move, Hollywood Casino Aurora ranked ninth in state revenue during the first half of 2026 as a riverboat operation.
PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said on an earnings call that “the business has almost essentially doubled in the first full month.” He also said the hotel is helping drive stronger customer value, with rated guests generating “21% higher average daily worth when staying at the property.”
New amenities appear to be changing Aurora’s position in the state market
The new Aurora complex includes 1,200 gaming positions, a 226-room hotel, a 12,000-square-foot event center, and multiple dining options. Snowden said 20% of guests since opening had been new to Hollywood Aurora, suggesting the new site is expanding the property’s reach.
The July statewide leaderboard still had Rivers Casino Des Plaines firmly in first place with $46.7 million in adjusted gross receipts. Wind Creek Chicago Southland ranked second with $19.7 million.
Other Illinois properties mentioned in the report included Hard Rock Casino Rockford and Bally’s Chicago at $13.1 million each, American Place in Waukegan at $12.4 million, and Hollywood Casino Joliet at $12.2 million.
Illinois’ land-based shift is still unfolding
A 2019 change in Illinois gambling law allowed casinos to move to dry land, and Aurora is one of the latest examples of that transition. PENN has been converting its Illinois riverboats to land-based facilities, while other major projects are still in the pipeline.
Bally’s Chicago plans to open its permanent casino in the first quarter of 2027, and American Place broke ground on a permanent casino in Waukegan in June with an expected opening in 2028.
For now, Aurora’s early results give the Illinois market a fresh benchmark for what a modern, destination-style casino can do in its opening stretch. Illinois does not have a legal real-money online casino market.
Based on reporting by Robert Channick for the Daily Herald.
