Hollywood Casino Aurora generated $17.4 million in revenue during July, its first full month of operation at a new $360 million land-based complex, according to monthly data released by the Illinois Gaming Board.
The property also drew nearly 156,000 visitors, and both figures came in roughly double the totals recorded in the same month last year, when the casino still operated as a riverboat moored on the Fox River.
The performance pushed Hollywood Casino Aurora to No. 3 among the state’s 17 casinos for July, up from ninth place in revenue as a riverboat during the first half of 2026.
“The business has almost essentially doubled in the first full month,” Jay Snowden, CEO and President of casino owner Penn Entertainment, said during this month’s Q2 earnings call. “You get some benefit of everybody coming to see the property in that first month. We’re very pleased with what the response has been, and the feedback we’re getting is very positive.”
The property opened in late June near Interstate 88 and the Chicago Premium Outlets mall. It includes 1,200 gaming positions, a 226-room hotel, a 12,000-square-foot event center and dining options such as Sorella by Giada and Boulevard Food & Drink.
“Our hotel is also attracting higher-worth customers, with our rated guests generating 21% higher average daily worth when staying at the property,” said Snowden. “The property is also driving trial and expanding our reach in the market as 20% of our guests since opening have been new to Hollywood Aurora.”
Statewide rankings for July
Rivers Casino Des Plaines led the state with $46.7 million in adjusted gross receipts, followed by Wind Creek Chicago Southland at $19.7 million. Wind Creek’s south suburban East Hazel Crest property transitioned to a land-based casino complex in 2024.
Hollywood Casino Aurora’s $17.4 million placed it ahead of Hard Rock Casino Rockford and Bally’s Chicago, which each generated $13.1 million, American Place in Waukegan at $12.4 million, and Hollywood Casino Joliet at $12.2 million, per Gaming Board data.
Penn Entertainment’s land-based conversion strategy
Penn Entertainment owns both Hollywood Casino Joliet and Hollywood Casino Aurora and has invested in converting each from a riverboat to a land-based facility.
Hollywood Casino Joliet made the transition last year, moving into a $185 million land-based casino with amenities similar to Aurora’s, though without a hotel. That property has since maintained higher revenue and attendance levels.
Illinois legalized riverboat gambling 36 years ago, and the Joliet and Aurora boats were among the first to launch. A 2019 change to state gambling law permitted casinos to relocate to dry land, a shift that has put newly built facilities atop the monthly revenue rankings.
Bally’s Chicago, which has run a temporary casino at Medinah Temple since September 2023, topped off construction in April on a $1.7 billion entertainment complex in River West and plans to open in the first quarter of 2027.
American Place, operating from a temporary facility since February 2023, broke ground in June on a $302 million permanent casino in Waukegan. Owner Full House Resorts expects that property to open in 2028.