Illinois Gaming Board to renew casino and sports betting licences

The Illinois Gaming Board has renewed Rivers Casino’s gaming license and Hawthorne Race Course’s sports betting license.

Following the unanimous decision, the licenses will run for four more years: Rivers Casino until August 2028 and Hawthorne until September of that year.

Rivers Casino is located in Des Plaines, near O’Hare International Airport. It is one of the largest revenue generators among the 15 casinos operating in the state. Hawthorne Race Course in the south Chicago suburb of Stickney was one of the first properties in Illinois to offer retail sports betting. It accepts retail sports bets and operates through Fanatics Sportsbook.

The IGB also approved a four-year management services license for Rush Street Interactive (RSI). RSI, which operates the BetRivers mobile sportsbook through Rivers Casino, has been operating in the state under a temporary permit since June 2020.

The Illinois Gaming Board renewed seven retail sports betting licenses in June. Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter, using expanded authority delegated to him in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, extended the licenses for four years through June 2028 for Argosy Casino Alton, DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Hollywood Casino Joliet, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, and Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria.