Illinois Casino Revenue Hits $167.5 Million in July as Hollywood Joliet Gets Revamp

The commercial casino sector in Illinois generated a combined $167.5 million in revenue in July, increasing 23.3% year-on-year from the previous year’s figure of $135.8 million.

According to the latest monthly report from the Illinois Gaming Board, of the combined revenue, electronic gaming devices yielded $127.6 million and table games produced $39.9 million. 

Additionally, two of the casinos in operation last month, Fairmount Park and Wind Creek, were not in open last year. 

Strong Performance Across the Illinois Casino Sector

The strong performance across the sector was underlined by the fact that only two of the casinos that reported for both time periods showed a loss. Hollywood Casino Joliet showed a dramatic decline from $7.3 million to $4.1 million, a year-on-year decline of 43.8%, while Harrah’s Joliet recorded a smaller drop of 2.7% in July revenue. 

Among the strongest performers were DraftKings at Casino Queen, FHR-Illinois and Bally’s Quad Cities, which all recorded double-digit percentage revenue increases. The biggest improvement, however, was at Hard Rock Rockford, which saw a 113.9% rise in revenue to $12.8 million. 

Rivers Casino continued to lead the way in revenue totals, recorded $44 million in July, up 6.2% on last year’s July figure, while Wind Creek was the next largest income generator at $18.8 million. 

PENN Entertainment Opens New Hollywood Casino 

Meanwhile, as the Ho-Chunk Nation plans to open a new casino in Beloit in 2026, PENN Entertainment hopes its revamped Hollywood Casino Joliet will perform more effectively than its predecessor. 

The new venue was opened this week, replacing the former riverboat property on the Des Plaines River that had operated since 1992. 

The $185 million land-based casino features roughly 1,000 slot machines, 43 table games, and a retail ESPN BET sportsbook. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by legislators, Illinois Gaming Board officials, local business leaders, Chicago Bears executives, and NFL veteran and Joliet native Tom Thayer. According to PENN, the venue will employ approximately 600 staff members, offering gaming, dining, and live entertainment year-round.

“This opening marks an exciting new era of entertainment in Joliet. We’re grateful for the support from the city of Joliet, the Illinois Gaming Board, and our business and community partners who contributed to the successful development of this new property,” said Todd George, PENN Entertainment’s Executive Vice President of Operations.