Illinois Casinos Report 15% Higher Revenues in July: $192.7 Million

Illinois's 17 licensed casinos generated $192.7 million in adjusted gross gaming receipts in July 2026, a 15% increase over the same month last year, according to the Illinois Gaming Board's July casino summary report.

Rivers Casino alone accounted for $46.7 million of that total, about a quarter of the state's casino revenue for the month. Two Hollywood-branded properties completing a shift from riverboat to land-based operations posted the sharpest year-over-year gains.

Hollywood's Land-Based Move Fuels the Steepest Gains

Hollywood Casino Joliet's revenue rose 196% year-over-year after the property completed its move onto land in August 2025, generating $12.2 million in July. Hollywood Casino Aurora posted an 84.4% increase following its own land-based opening in June 2026, generating $17.4 million for the month.

The moves reflect a broader trend among Illinois riverboat casinos, several of which have relocated onto adjacent land in recent years to expand gaming floor space and reduce the operating costs of maintaining a vessel.

Rivers Casino Leads a Field of 17 Licensed Properties

Statewide, slot machine (EGD) revenue climbed 15.4% year-over-year to $147.2 million in July, while table games revenue rose 13.8% to $45.4 million. The Illinois Gaming Board's full property-by-property breakdown for the month:

Illinois casinos drew 1,452,047 admissions in July across 31 operating days. Tax allocations from admissions and wagering totaled $44.1 million for the state and $12.0 million for host localities, according to the report.

Three Properties Buck the Statewide Growth Trend

Not every property gained ground. Harrah's Joliet revenue fell 12.8% year-over-year to $9.3 million, DraftKings at Casino Queen dropped 8.8% to $7.0 million, and Grand Victoria revenue declined 2.5% to $12.0 million.

Online Casino Bill Could Raise Illinois' Land-Based Numbers

Illinois state Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. has refiled the Internet Gaming Act for the 2026 legislative session, a bill that would legalize online slots, table games, live dealer products and poker for players 21 and older. It sets a 25% tax on online gaming revenue, caps operators at three licenses each, and places oversight with the Illinois Gaming Board, the same agency that publishes the casino revenue figures above.

The Sports Betting Alliance, whose members include BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics, has lobbied heavily for the measure, contributing roughly $398,200 to more than 100 state lawmakers since June. Proponents project it would generate $1 billion annually in new state tax revenue.

Don’t hold your breath though! House Gaming Committee Chair Dan Didech said the measure "faces a long road" toward passage. Casinos still worry about cannibalization despite evidence showing that online casino helps attract a younger demographic to land-based casinos.

Eight states currently permit legal real money iGaming. In two of them, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, online casino revenue has already surpassed land-based casino revenue — a benchmark that has gradually shifted attitudes among lawmakers weighing similar legislation elsewhere.

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