Hollywood Casino Aurora hit the jackpot during its first full month at its glitzy $360 million land-based entertainment complex, making huge gains in both revenue and admissions.
The former riverboat operator generated $17.4 million in revenue, welcomed nearly 156,000 visitors and catapulted to No. 3 among the state’s 17 casinos in July, according to monthly data released Friday by the Illinois Gaming Board.
The move to dry land doubled revenue and admissions over the same month last year, when the Hollywood Casino Aurora was still just a moored barge floating on the Fox River.
“The business has almost essentially doubled in the first full month,” Jay Snowden, CEO and president of casino owner Penn Entertainment, said during an earnings call Thursday. “You get some benefit of everybody coming to see the property in that first month. We’re very pleased with what the response has been and the feedback we’re getting is very positive.”
Opened to great fanfare in late June, the new Hollywood Casino Aurora rose up near Interstate 88 and Chicago Premium Outlets mall. It features 1,200 gaming positions, a 226-room hotel, a 12,000-square-foot event center and a smorgasbord of dining options including Sorella by Giada and Boulevard Food & Drink.
Like other recently built casinos in Illinois, the new west suburban facility proved to be a gambler magnet, at least in its first month of operation. Hollywood Casino Aurora was ranked ninth in the state in revenue as a riverboat during the first half of 2026.
In July, Hollywood Casino Aurora jumped to third behind Rivers Casino Des Plaines, which generated $46.7 million in adjusted gross receipts. Wind Creek Chicago Southland, which opened a new land-based casino complex in south suburban East Hazel Crest in 2024, held onto the second spot with $19.7 million in revenue.
Rounding out the revenue leaders for July are Hard Rock Casino Rockford at $13.1 million, Bally’s Chicago at $13.1 million, American Place in Waukegan at $12.4 million and Hollywood Casino Joliet, which generated $12.2 million for the month, according to Gaming Board data.
Penn Entertainment, which owns both Hollywood Casino Joliet and Aurora, has made significant investments to convert them from riverboats to land-based facilities. The early returns look promising.
Hollywood Casino Joliet, which moved last year from a riverboat to a new $185 million land-based casino with similar amenities – sans the hotel – has seen a sustained increase in revenue and attendance.
Expectations are high for Hollywood Casino Aurora to attract gamblers and non-gamblers alike with a plethora of dining options, amenities, a hotel and a brand-new gaming floor. Being located next to a major regional outlet mall may also help casino traffic.
“Our hotel is also attracting higher worth customers, with our rated guests generating 21% higher average daily worth when staying at the property,” Snowden said during the earnings call. “The property is also driving trial and expanding our reach in the market as 20% of our guests since opening have been new to Hollywood Aurora.”
Like its sister casino in Joliet, the new Aurora complex includes a food hall and restaurants from celebrity chefs Giada De Laurentiis and Stephanie Izard.
The Joliet and Aurora boats were among the first to hit the water after Illinois legalized riverboat gambling 36 years ago. A 2019 change in the state’s gambling law allowed casinos to move to dry land, setting off a building boom that has seen new facilities rocket to the top of the monthly revenue rankings.
Next up in the development pipeline is Bally’s Chicago, which has been operating out of a temporary casino at Medinah Temple since September 2023. The Rhode Island-based casino company topped off construction on a new $1.7 billion entertainment complex in River West in April, with plans to open in the first quarter of 2027.
Meanwhile, American Place, which has been operating out of a temporary facility since February 2023, broke ground in June on its long-awaited $302 million permanent casino in Waukegan. It is expected to open in 2028, according to owner Full House Resorts.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com
