Although April casino revenue in Illinois was down from the previous month, it still beat the previous April by nearly 7%.
The report from the Illinois Gaming Board showed an overall adjusted gaming revenue total of nearly $137 million in April. While down from March’s robust $152.3 million, it outpaced the previous April’s total of $128.1 million by 6.9%.
Around $104 million came from slot machines in April, while nearly $33 million was collected from table games. The state took in $23.2 million in taxes, with an additional $8.3 million-plus going to local entities.
Rivers Dominates All Illinois Casinos in April Revenue
The state had 15 retail casinos operating in April. Illinois online casinos remain illegal. Last month, only one casino, Harrah’s Metropolis Casino, saw a slight uptick in its month-over-month revenue.
Rivers Casino in Des Plaines was the busiest casino in the state in April with nearly $42.3 million in adjusted gross revenue (AGR). That total, however, came in considerably lower than its March AGR of nearly $47.8 million.
No other casino in Illinois came close to Rivers’ AGR in April. Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin was second with $12.4 million, followed by Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel’s $10.6 million.
Bally’s Chicago MoM Revenue Down Significantly
As in March, the temporary Bally’s Chicago casino was the fourth-highest-earning casino of the month. Its $10.4 million, though, was down more than $11.1 million compared to the previous month.
The Chicago Tribune noted that April represented “the first month-over-month revenue decline since the temporary casino opened at Medinah Temple in September,” adding that admissions were also down, declining more than 4% to 112,751 visitors in April.
Bally’s Chicago put a positive spin on the numbers, noting that April had one less weekend and one less day total than March. Mark Wong, vice president and GM of the casino, said the company was satisfied with its numbers in April.
“April was our second highest revenue per day and second highest admissions since opening, outpacing the Illinois market, including our major competitors who have more games. We are pleased with the month’s performance and are confident in our trajectory going into the summer.”
Wong also pointed out that an upcoming amenity should improve traffic at the casino. After receiving approval from the city of Chicago, Bally’s will add valet parking in June.
The casino revenue news comes on the heels of Bally’s quarterly earnings report last week. It revealed sharp losses in the first three months of 2024.
The company hopes to make gains after its permanent Chicago casino opens, projected in 2026. Chairman Soo Kim has said in recent months that he wants to take the company private to help raise capital for the project.
