The Illinois Gaming Board on Thursday renewed Rivers Casino's gaming license as well as Hawthorne Race Course's master sports wagering license.
Both renewals by the state agency came via unanimous 4-0 votes and are good for four years, with Rivers now licensed through August 2028 and Hawthorne through September of that year.
Rivers Casino, located in Des Plaines near O'Hare International Airport, is the top revenue generator among Illinois' 15 casinos in operation, having reported $346.2 million in winnings through the first eight months of the year. That has resulted in $103.9 million in state and local tax revenue.
Hawthorne Race Course, which has seen progress in trying to open a racino in the south Chicago suburb of Stickney slow in recent years, was among the first venues to offer retail sports betting in the Land of Lincoln. It opened a book at its horse racing track in July 2020 through Australia-based PointsBet, which was acquired by Fanatics for $225 million in June 2023. The changeover to Fanatics for retail wagering at the track and its three off-track betting locations took place in March, with the mobile platform completing the transition the following month.
The IGB also approved Rush Street Interactive for a Management Services Provider license for four years through September 2028. Rush Street, which operates the mobile sportsbook BetRivers through Rivers Casino, had been operating in Illinois with a temporary permit since June 2020 after being the first online operator to accept wagers in the state.
Rivers Continues to Be Primary Casino Engine
Rivers Casino General Manager Corey Wise made the presentation to the IGB for his casino's license renewal, touting the performance of the venue during the previous license period.
Rivers had generated $568 million in state and local gaming taxes during that four-year stretch, and the casino is far and away the largest source of table games revenue in the state. Its $132.3 million in winnings from games — including blackjack, craps, roulette and poker — account for nearly half the $270.5 million in revenue from all Illinois operators.
Wise pointed out that Rivers also invested in its infrastructure during the licensing period with a $115 million expansion plan that was completed in 2022. It also completed a recent $6 million investment in a VIP players' lounge and full sit-down restaurant. Rivers currently employs more than 1,900 people, 93% of which are full-time.
Rivers has also been steady despite the increased competition that has come from Bally's now having its temporary casino at Medinah Temple operational in downtown Chicago. Rivers had a decline of less than 1% in admissions comparing the first eight months of this year to 2023, but it still admitted more than two million people to its property. Though its year-over-year revenue in that span declined 5.2%, Rivers' average revenue per admission of $170.31 in 2024 is nearly double that of Bally's $91.71.
Des Plaines Mayor Andrew Goczkowski also praised Rivers' efforts, calling the last 13 years a "collaboration that has evolved into a model of community engagement, strategic development and collective growth."
Goczkowski noted that the village has been able to reduce its overall debt with local taxes generated by the casino from $102 million in 2005 to its current $6.8 million, and projected it to be debt-free by 2028.
