Find Your Favorite Illinois Casinos and Resorts 2026

Illinois is home to 17 licensed casino properties spread across the state, from the Chicago metropolitan area to the Mississippi River towns of the west and the southern tip of the state. All properties are regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Chicago Metropolitan Area

• Bally's Chicago (Temporary), Chicago - Currently operating as a temporary casino venue ahead of the opening of the permanent $1.7 billion Bally's Chicago resort development, expected September 2026. The temporary venue offers a full gaming floor with slots and table games in the heart of the city, giving Chicago players a taste of what promises to be one of the most significant casino openings in the United States in recent years.
• Wind Creek Casino Chicago Southland, East Hazel Crest - Illinois's newest casino, having opened in November 2024, Wind Creek Chicago Southland is a tribal-affiliated property operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians - the same operator behind Alabama's Wind Creek brand. Offering a modern gaming floor with slots and table games, this south suburban Chicago venue is a significant and welcome addition to the metropolitan area's casino landscape.
• Rivers Casino Des Plaines, Des Plaines - One of Illinois's busiest and most successful casino properties, Rivers Casino Des Plaines is located just minutes from O'Hare International Airport and offers one of the largest gaming floors in the state with over 1,000 slot machines, 75 table games, a poker room, multiple dining venues, and a sportsbook.
• Hollywood Casino Aurora, Aurora - A well-established casino resort on the Fox River in Aurora, offering over 1,000 slot machines, 50+ table games, a poker room, hotel accommodations, multiple dining options, and live entertainment. One of Illinois's original riverboat casinos, having operated since 1993.
• Grand Victoria Casino, Elgin - Situated on the Fox River in Elgin, Grand Victoria offers a full gaming floor with over 1,000 slot machines and 40 table games, alongside dining and entertainment in a convenient northwest suburban Chicago location.
• The Temporary by American Place, Waukegan - Currently operating as a temporary venue in Waukegan while the permanent American Place casino development is completed, expected in 2027. Offers slots, table games, and dining for north suburban Chicago and southern Wisconsin visitors.

Central & Northern Illinois

• Hard Rock Casino Rockford, Rockford - Opened in 2021, Hard Rock Rockford brought the iconic Hard Rock brand to northern Illinois, offering a full gaming floor with slots and table games, the signature Hard Rock memorabilia experience, multiple dining venues, and live entertainment in Illinois's third largest city.
• Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino, East Peoria - A full-service casino hotel on the Illinois River in East Peoria, offering over 1,000 slot machines, 24 table games, hotel accommodations, and dining. A long-established central Illinois destination operated by Boyd Gaming.
• Golden Nugget Danville, Danville - A newer addition to the Illinois casino landscape, Golden Nugget Danville offers slots, table games, dining, and the Golden Nugget brand's distinctive gold-themed aesthetic in eastern Illinois near the Indiana border.
• Harrah's Joliet, Joliet - A full-service Caesars Entertainment casino hotel on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, offering a full gaming floor, hotel accommodations, multiple dining options, and a sportsbook. One of two casino properties in Joliet.
• Hollywood Casino Joliet, Joliet - Penn Entertainment's Joliet property sitting alongside Harrah's on the Des Plaines River, offering a full gaming floor, hotel, dining, and entertainment. The proximity of two major casino resorts makes Joliet one of Illinois's most compelling casino destinations outside Chicago.

Southern Illinois

• DraftKings at Casino Queen, East St. Louis - Located directly across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, Missouri, Casino Queen is one of Illinois's most conveniently located casino properties for visitors approaching from the west. Offering slots, table games, a poker room, hotel accommodations, an RV park, and a sportsbook operated in partnership with DraftKings.
• FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing at Fairmount Park, Collinsville - Illinois's first and only racino, having opened in April 2025 at the historic Fairmount Park thoroughbred racing venue just outside Collinsville. Offering live horse racing alongside electronic gaming machines and a FanDuel Sportsbook, this is a significant new addition to the southern Illinois gaming landscape and a genuine milestone in the state's gambling history.
• Argosy Casino Alton, Alton - Situated on the Mississippi River in historic Alton, this was the site of Illinois's very first riverboat casino when it opened in 1991, giving it a unique place in both Illinois and American gambling history. Today the property offers a full gaming floor with slots and table games alongside dining and entertainment.
• Walker's Bluff Casino Resort, Carterville - A newer full-service casino resort in southern Illinois offering slots, table games, hotel accommodations, a golf course, and multiple dining venues. One of the most complete resort experiences in downstate Illinois, Walker's Bluff has quickly established itself as a destination in its own right.
• Harrah's Metropolis, Metropolis - Located in the far southern tip of Illinois on the Ohio River, Harrah's Metropolis serves visitors from southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and beyond. The property sits in the self-proclaimed hometown of Superman - a fun piece of local colour - and offers slots, table games, hotel accommodations, and dining.
• Bally's Quad Cities, Rock Island - Situated on the Mississippi River in Rock Island, Bally's Quad Cities serves the Illinois side of the Quad Cities metropolitan area, offering a full gaming floor with slots and table games, dining, and entertainment overlooking the river.

Illinois has been at the heart of Midwestern casino gaming for over three decades, and today's landscape reflects that maturity. It has evolved into a diverse mix of full-service resort casinos, a thriving Chicago metropolitan scene, and some genuinely characterful riverfront destinations that reward the effort of seeking them out. 

Whether you're planning a night out in the suburbs of Chicago or a longer trip to one of the state's southern river towns, here's everything you need to know before your first visit.

Understanding Illinois's Casino Landscape 

Illinois licenses all of its casinos as commercial properties regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board. There are actually no tribal gaming compacts in the state, with the exception of Wind Creek Chicago Southland which operates under a tribal affiliation with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. 

The majority of properties carry the historic riverboat designation dating back to the Illinois Riverboat Gambling Act of 1990, though most today operate as permanently moored or land-based venues rather than traditional floating vessels. Illinois's first and only racino, FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing at Fairmount Park in Collinsville, opened in April 2025, adding a new dimension to the state's gaming landscape.

Arrival & Entry 

Every Illinois casino requires valid photo ID on arrival. Be sure to keep it handy as you'll need it to access the gaming floor. Once inside, your first stop should be the rewards desk. With Caesars Entertainment and Penn Entertainment between them operating a significant chunk of Illinois's casino landscape, rewards points earned at one property within those networks generally transfer across others, meaning a single sign-up can work harder for you across multiple visits. Even at independent properties, a rewards card is always worth having from the first visit.

Slot Machines 

Illinois offers an impressive range of slot experiences across its 17 properties, from the vast floors of Rivers Casino Des Plaines and Hollywood Casino Aurora - both approaching 1,000 machines - to the more intimate outstate venues. All 17 properties offer electronic gaming machines of some kind, making slots the most universally available gaming option across the state.

Table Games 

Live table games are available at 16 of Illinois's 17 casino properties  with the exception being FanDuel at Fairmount Park, which as a racino offers electronic gaming and horse racing rather than live dealer tables. Hollywood Casino Joliet leads the state with 40+ tables, followed closely by Rivers Casino Des Plaines with 65 and Harrah's Joliet with 31. If you're new to table games, most Illinois casinos offer lower minimum tables during quieter periods and dealers are generally happy to walk first-timers through the basics.

Poker Rooms 

Poker rooms are available at five Illinois properties: Rivers Casino Des Plaines, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, Bally's Chicago, and Bally's Quad Cities. Rivers Casino Des Plaines is the standout destination with 22 dedicated poker tables, while Grand Victoria Elgin offers 20 tables. It's worth noting that Harrah's Joliet permanently closed its poker room in 2020, so players heading to Joliet specifically for poker should head to Hollywood Casino Joliet instead, which does offer poker.

Sports Betting 

Illinois has a well-established sports betting market, with most major casino properties offering dedicated sportsbook areas. DraftKings at Casino Queen operates in partnership with one of the country's best-known sports betting brands, while the FanDuel Sportsbook at Fairmount Park racino adds another major brand name to the state's betting landscape. It's worth confirming sportsbook availability directly with your chosen venue before visiting.

Horse Racing 

FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing at Fairmount Park in Collinsville is Illinois's only venue currently offering live horse racing alongside casino gaming, having opened as the state's first racino in April 2025. For racing fans visiting southern Illinois this is a genuinely exciting and very current addition to the landscape.

The Smoke Free Option 

DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis is one of the very few casino properties in the United States to operate a completely smoke-free gaming floor, which is a genuinely distinctive feature that makes it a standout choice for non-smoking visitors. It also holds the remarkable distinction of being the only employee-owned casino in the United States.

Bally's Chicago - One to Watch 

The permanent Bally's Chicago resort development deserves a special mention. The $1.7 billion project is expected to open in September 2026 and will represent one of the most significant casino openings in the United States in recent years, bringing a world-class resort destination to the heart of one of America's greatest cities. If you're planning a Chicago visit in late 2026 or beyond, this is one to keep a close eye on.

Taking a Break 

Illinois's casino resorts range from full luxury resort experiences to compact gaming venues, and the surrounding destinations add real value to many visits. The Fox River properties at Aurora and Elgin offer pleasant riverside settings, the Quad Cities stretch of the Mississippi River is genuinely scenic, and the southern Illinois properties at Alton, Metropolis, and Carterville all sit within easy reach of compelling wider destinations. Harrah's Metropolis is particularly worth a mention for fans of American pop culture - the city is the self-proclaimed hometown of Superman, complete with a giant bronze statue of the Man of Steel in the town square.

Illinois's casinos are among the most visited entertainment destinations in the Midwest, and the overwhelming majority of guests enjoy them exactly as intended - as a fun and sociable way to spend an evening. If gambling is becoming something you feel unable to control, or if it's affecting your finances or relationships, support is closer than you might think. The Illinois Council on Problem Gambling helpline is available around the clock at 1-800-426-2537, with trained counsellors ready to help.

The Illinois Gaming Board administers a statewide self-exclusion programme called the Illinois Gaming Exclusion Database, which allows individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from all 17 licensed casino properties in the state simultaneously. Enrolment can be completed online via the Illinois Gaming Board website, making it one of the most accessible self-exclusion processes in the country.

Before you visit, it's worth taking a few moments to set some boundaries for yourself: a firm budget, a time limit, and a commitment to treat any losses as the price of an evening's entertainment rather than something to chase back. Illinois's casinos offer far more than just gaming, and knowing when to step away from the floor and enjoy a meal, a show, or simply the river view is all part of making the most of what these resorts have to offer.

The information on this page is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or professional advice of any kind. Illinois's gaming landscape is actively evolving - with the permanent Bally's Chicago resort expected to open in late 2026 and the American Place development in Waukegan anticipated in 2027 - and venue details, gaming offerings, and operator information are subject to change. We recommend verifying current information directly with individual properties before your visit.

Wind Creek Casino Chicago Southland operates under a tribal affiliation and may be subject to regulations that differ from those governing Illinois's commercially licensed properties. For authoritative information on Illinois gaming regulation, please refer to the Illinois Gaming Board directly at igb.illinois.gov.

For guidance on the tax treatment of gambling winnings, please consult a qualified tax professional or refer to the IRS and Illinois Department of Revenue websites. You must meet the age requirements set by casino operators to participate in any gaming activities. Please gamble responsibly.