Check out this page for the latest information on Illinois casinos.
Illinois’ casino areas have been closed for the first time in over a year, but they now have the option to reopen at their discretion.
You can find poker rooms at the Elgin Grand Victoria Casino, Aurora Hollywood Casino, and Jumer’s Casino & Hotel.
Tom Swoik, Executive Director of ICGA, has announced the reopening of poker rooms and buffet services following a memo from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) on Friday.
Casinos currently do not have established standard protocols for social distancing and mask wearing, but they now have the power to determine and implement these measures.
Casinos are currently operating at 50% capacity in accordance with Phase 4 guidelines for COVID-19 reopening. As the pandemic situation in Illinois improves, it is anticipated that capacity limits will be raised in the coming weeks.
On June 11, Illinois hopes to resume entirely.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced last week that he plans to lift all restrictions in the state by June 11, pending no significant setbacks in the state’s key COVID-19 indicators.
Therefore, it is logical for casinos to reopen their poker rooms in order to offer gambling at full capacity instead of limiting it to just 50%.
It is now up to the casinos to decide. Joliet Harrah’s, a casino that decided to indefinitely close its poker room during the pandemic, is one example.
It is important to note that Illinois will be adhering to the CDC’s face mask guidelines even with its full reopening. This means that even when poker rooms reopen, a mask mandate will still be in place.
On May 14, Illinois will enter the “bridge phase,” a stage that precedes full reopening. During this phase, indoor venues will see capacity restrictions increase from 50% to 60%.
It seems that the poker room rules follow the gate period.
Could Illinois immediately experience online poker?
Legislation advocating for the legalization of online casino games, such as online poker, in Illinois has been introduced in both the House and Senate. These bills specifically mention the inclusion of live dealer options for these games.
In late April, a House Executive Committee held a hearing to discuss HB 3142, where lawmakers and witnesses discussed the potential benefits of online casino games in supporting casinos during shutdowns.
At the same time, critics used the video gaming terminal (VGT) industry to argue against the legalization of online casinos, fearing that it could lead to the downfall of the VGT industry.
It is uncertain whether the House will pass any gaming-related policy during its May discussion on online casino policy.
Considering the limited availability of poker rooms in Illinois, this would be a major development for poker fans in the Land of Lincoln.
How some games are there in Illinois?
After over a year, Illinois casinos reopened at full capacity in June for the first time.
Illinois offers a selection of 10 games. These include:
- Alton’s Argosy Casino
- Queen Casino at DraftKings
- Elgin Grand Victoria Casino
- Joliet Harrah & rsquo
- Metropolis Harrah’s
- Aurora Hollywood Casino
- Hollywood Casino in Joliet
- Jumer’s Hotel, Casino &
- Game line a dice
- Casino Rivers
Furthermore, there are six additional casino licenses up for grabs, one of which is designated for the future Chicago casino. We will keep a close eye on whether these new casinos plan to incorporate poker rooms as more details become available.
