Work has begun on an expansion project at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Illinois in anticipation of the property being approved for a sports betting license. Officials said the Cube lounge will be transformed into a sportsbook that could open before the end of the year. Churchill acquired a majority interest in Rivers in March.
In a quarterly earnings call with investors, Churchill CEO Bill Carstanjen said the sportsbook’s exact opening will depend on final approvals from the Illinois Gaming Board. In addition, he said, Rivers will expand from 1,200 gambling positions to 2,000, which is allowed in the new gambling bill passed in June. Carstanjen said 115 slots and eight table games will be installed on the single-level 44,000-square-foot gaming floor by year’s end, again depending on gaming board approval.
Meanwhile, plans are being developed for a casino expansion to accommodate more slots, table games and amenities. Carstanjen noted that a $24 million expansion of the parking garage already has begun and will be completed in July 2020.
“We have very strong views and plans around what we want to see happen there, but we can’t determine regulatory approval for our expansion plan,” he said. “I think the state is incented to move the process along. I think the state wants to see more casinos in the market. I think the state wants to see a maximization of income from gaming. And I think they’ll work with all delivered speed.”
Opened in 2011, Rivers generates more revenue than any other Illinois gaming hall, with $440 million in adjusted gross receipts in fiscal 2019. Nine other Illinois casinos experienced revenue declines, according to a September report.
