Rivers Casino Des Plaines Review for June 2026

Illinois was the second state in the country to legalise riverboat gambling, opening its first floating casino in 1991. For two decades, the state ran nine casino licences, and then in 2008, the Illinois Gaming Board awarded what it had designated its 10th and final licence to a group led by Chicago developer Neil Bluhm, for a casino to be built in Des Plaines adjacent to O'Hare International Airport. The city approved zoning in early 2010, and Rivers Casino Des Plaines opened on July 18, 2011.

It is not a riverboat. It never was. By 2011 Illinois had abandoned the literal floating casino requirement, and Rivers Casino was built as a land-based facility on 21 acres at the northwest corner of Devon Avenue and Des Plaines River Road, minutes from one of the busiest airports in the world. Churchill Downs Inc. acquired a 62 percent majority stake in 2019, with Rush Street Gaming remaining as minority owner and operator. The property is managed under the Rush Street Gaming banner, which also operates Rivers Casino properties in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Schenectady, New York.

What the property generates annually in gaming revenue is more than any other casino in Illinois, a figure that reflects both the quality of the gaming operation and the extraordinary advantage of its location. Des Plaines sits directly between O'Hare and the Rosemont entertainment district, making it accessible from downtown Chicago, from anywhere in the O'Hare catchment area, and from the broader suburban Chicago market. There is no on-site hotel, but for a property serving a metropolitan area of nearly 10 million people, overnight accommodation has never been the primary draw.

Rivers Casino Des Plaines sits at 3000 South River Road in Des Plaines, Illinois, approximately two miles from O'Hare International Airport and 17 miles northwest of downtown Chicago via Interstate 90. The drive from the Loop takes around 25 to 30 minutes in off-peak conditions.

Public transport access is notably strong. A complimentary 24-hour round-trip shuttle runs from the CTA Rosemont Blue Line station, connecting the casino to the entire Chicago L network without a car. Taxi services operate from the southeast entrance. Partner hotels in the Rosemont and Des Plaines area offer package rates for overnight guests and are within a short drive or rideshare of the property. Free self-parking is available on site.

The gaming floor covers approximately 140,000 square feet and is entirely non-smoking, a policy that applies across all gaming areas and makes Rivers Des Plaines one of the larger fully smoke-free casino floors in the Chicago metropolitan area. The floor operates around the clock with the full range of Illinois commercial gaming offerings.

The BetRivers Sportsbook is integrated into the property, featuring a high-definition LED wall, stadium seating, a 26-seat bar, and lined monitors throughout the space. It is one of the stronger retail sportsbook environments in the Chicago metro and handles significant volume during major sporting events, given the market it serves.

Table Games

Over 70 live table games running 24 hours, covering:

• Blackjack
• Spanish 21
• Craps
• Roulette
• Baccarat
• Mini-Baccarat
• Pai Gow Poker
• Three Card Poker
• Ultimate Texas Hold'em
• Mississippi Stud
• High Card Flush
• Texas Hold'em Bonus

The 5,600-square-foot poker room runs 22 dedicated tables with Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Stud cash games and regular tournaments, consistently rated among the best poker rooms in the Chicago market.

Slots

Over 1,500 slot machines in denominations from penny to $100 run across the fully smoke-free floor. The machine count is lower than some comparable regional properties, but the entirely non-smoking environment and the modern, well-maintained selection mean the quality of the playing experience tends to compensate for the volume. Jackpot activity is high enough that Rivers consistently promotes its jackpot frequency as a differentiator from other Chicago-area gaming options.

Rewards Club

Rush Rewards is the property's loyalty programme, earning points on all slot and table play, redeemable for free play, dining credits, and merchandise. Tier benefits escalate across the programme's levels, with higher tiers unlocking priority access, promotional invitations, and enhanced comping rates. The programme operates across all Rush Street Gaming properties, meaning points and tier status transfer between Rivers Des Plaines, Rivers Pittsburgh, Rivers Philadelphia, and Rivers Schenectady for guests who visit more than one property.

Did You Know?

Where to Eat

Seven bars and restaurants cover the range from one of Chicago's most celebrated seafood and steakhouse concepts to casual quick-service options, with Hugo's Frog Bar and Chop House as the clear headline.

Hugo's Frog Bar and Chop House is the reason to plan dinner here. The Hugo's brand, originally from the Gold Coast neighbourhood on Chicago's North Side, is one of the city's genuinely beloved dining institutions, and the Des Plaines location runs to the same standard as the original. Prime steaks, fresh seafood, crab legs, lobster bisque, and the dark, warm atmosphere that gives the Chicago location its character all translate. For a casino dining option with no hotel attached, having a Chicago dining institution as the anchor rather than a generic casino steakhouse is a significant differentiator.

Mian handles quick-service Asian with real authenticity, the noodle and dumpling menu going considerably further than the standard casino Asian counter concept.

Entertainment

Morongo runs a busy live entertainment calendar with touring artists covering music across genres alongside comedy and special events. A ballroom on the property divides into multiple configurations for groups ranging from intimate gatherings to events of several hundred, handling everything from corporate meetings to weddings.

The adjacent Canyon Lanes, a 24-lane professional bowling center, provides a more casual entertainment option that casino resorts rarely offer at this scale. It works particularly well for mixed groups where not everyone is there for the gaming.

Rivers Casino Des Plaines is the highest-revenue casino in Illinois and makes no apology for what it is: the best-located gaming destination in the Chicago metropolitan area, designed around a core gaming and dining experience rather than a full resort proposition.

The entirely smoke-free gaming floor, a 22-table poker room that is the standout in the Chicago market, a BetRivers Sportsbook built for serious use, and Hugo's Frog Bar and Chop House as the dining anchor add up to a casino that does the things it does very well indeed. No hotel is the one structural absence, and partner hotels in the Rosemont and Des Plaines area handle that adequately for overnight visitors.

The O'Hare proximity is the defining commercial advantage, and the complimentary 24-hour CTA shuttle from the Rosemont Blue Line station makes it accessible from anywhere in Chicago without a car. For the city's casino market, Rivers Des Plaines has held the dominant position since the day it opened, and nothing in Illinois has yet displaced it.