On August 26, due to a spike in Covid-19 positivity rates, the Illinois Gaming Board ordered Hollywood Casino Joliet and Harrah’s Casino Joliet to cut their hours, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, and decrease occupancy from 50 percent to 25 percent. Also, guests are banned from congregating around tables and games, and masks also must be worn at all times on the gaming floor. In addition, the casinos were required to suspend indoor dining and beverage service, however outdoor dining and carryout service still are available.
Similar stipulations were placed on DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis and the Argosy Casino on August 18.
According to the gaming commission, the Illinois Department of Public Health will monitor the positivity rate in the Joliet region for 14 days. If the rate falls below 6.5 percent over that period, the restrictions will be relaxed. If the rate hovers between 6.5 to 8 percent, they’ll remain in effect, and if they continue to exceed 8 percent, restrictions will be tightened further.
Under normal conditions, Joliet would receive $1.3 million in monthly tax revenue from the Harrah’s and Hollywood casinos. The closing of casinos in March due to Covid-19 impacted city revenue is primarily responsible for a $6.6 million budget gap. At the end of July, casino tax revenue was $65 million or 42 percent lower than what the city received in the same six months in 2019, said Finance Director James Ghedotte. And he expects it to get worse. Ghedotte said it’s likely Joliet will end 2020 with a budget deficit between $12 million and $20 million, depending on the economic impact of Covid-19.
Video gaming operators’ hours also were cut back, as the IGB announced the state’s Central Communications System will be in service between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. The video gaming terminals are available at truck stops, convenience stores, cafes and other commercial buildings in Kankakee and Will counties near Chicago, plus operators in Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties in western Illinois.
Video gaming players must wear masks and no loitering is permitted around the games. Indoor dining and beverage service are temporarily suspended but outdoor dining and takeout still are available.
Governor J.B. Pritzker on August 28 restored an order waiving in-person registration for mobile sports betting accounts. Now Chicago-area and other Illinois residents won’t have to drive to East St. Louis to sign up for a DraftKings mobile account, and other won’t have to go to Rivers Des Plaines Casinos to establish a BetRivers account. Originally the order requiring in-person sign-ups was implemented on June 4; Pritzker extended it for another 30 days on June 26. However, after the casinos reopened, he let the order lapse on July 27.
