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PENN Entertainment officially opened its new $360 million Hollywood Casino Aurora resort June 24 in Aurora, Illinois, replacing the company’s longtime Fox River riverboat casino that operated since 1993.
Located at 2500 N. Farnsworth Ave. near Interstate 88 and Chicago Premium Outlets, the 388,500-square-foot entertainment complex marks the company’s second major land-based casino opening in the Chicago area in less than a year, following Hollywood Casino Joliet in 2025. According to PENN Entertainment’s March 2026 announcement, the project is part of the company’s broader Midwest expansion strategy.
After 33 years on the Fox River, Hollywood Casino moves inland
“This is an entirely new experience,” General Manager Greg Moore said during the opening ceremony attended by Illinois Gaming Board officials, local leaders, legislators and longtime patrons.
Aurora resident Joe Stupec, who frequented the original casino for more than three decades, praised the new property before heading to the craps tables.
Hollywood Casino Aurora first opened June 17, 1993, aboard two riverboats on the Fox River, when Illinois law required casino gambling to occur on moving boats. The state later eased restrictions, allowing permanently moored casinos in 1999, and the property transitioned to a stationary barge in 2002.
PENN Entertainment President and CEO Jay Snowden said the new venue represents a major reinvestment in the Chicagoland gaming market. Combined with the Joliet development, the company has invested more than $500 million in the region during the past three years, according to Casino City Times’ opening coverage.
New property combines casino gaming with hospitality
The new resort features more than 1,000 slot and video poker machines, over 50 table games and a retail sportsbook. The property also includes a 226-room hotel, Drift Spa and a 12,000-square-foot event center designed for concerts, meetings, weddings and conferences.
The complex employs about 700 workers and supported roughly 700 construction jobs during development, according to CBS Chicago’s report on the opening.
Dining is a major focus of the resort. Sorella by Giada, created by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, anchors the restaurant lineup with Italian and California-inspired cuisine. The Boulevard Food and Drink Hall, operated by McClain Camarota Hospitality, includes concepts from several prominent chefs and brands, including:
- Lucky Goat by Stephanie Izard
- Antique Taco
- Five50 Pizza
- Pretty Cool Ice Cream
- Tabo Sushi by Takashi Yagihashi
- Urbanbelly
A traditional lion dance performance from a Chinatown-based troupe helped open the festivities, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune for the new venue.
City-backed incentives helped fuel the project
The city of Aurora supported the project through tax increment financing, an $8 million land contribution and $50 million in general-obligation bonds loaned to PENN Entertainment. Under the redevelopment agreement, increased property tax revenue generated by the site is expected to repay the debt, with the casino operator responsible for covering any shortfall.
The new casino replaces the original downtown riverboat property, which closed earlier this month ahead of the grand opening.
