Illinois was the second state to legalize riverboat casinos. There are 10 licenses issued for the entire state and each licensee is allowed to have up to two boats. In July 1997 the Silver Eagle (map location #4) closed and this left only nine boats in operation. In June 1999, however, the Silver Eagle reapplied with the Gaming Board to move its boat to Rosemont, which is located in Cook County, about a 10-minute-drive from O'Hare International Airport. The Gaming Board was expected to approve the move but a lawsuit to block the licensing move was later filed by another business group and as of August 2000 the issue had not yet been decided by the courts. Riverboat casinos began operating in Illinois in September 1991 with the launching of the first boat: the Alton Belle. All boats were originally required to cruise but in June 1999 the Governor signed a bill permitting dockside gambling. Unlike Mississippi, however, the casinos are not open 24 hours.
Here's information from the Illinois Gaming Board on each casino's average slot payback percentage for the 1999 calendar year beginning January 1, 1999 and ending December 31, 1999:
CASINO PAYBACK % Casino Queen 95.0 Grand Victoria 94.7 Alton Belle 94.6 Hollywood 94.2 Empress 94.2 Harrah's 94.1 Players 93.8 Par-A-Dice 93.5 Rock Island 93.3
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines. As you can see, the Casino Queen returned the most to its slot machine players, while the Rock Island riverboat returned the least. Although these numbers are only for 1999, they pretty much remain the same from year-to-year with Casino Queen at the top, Rock Island at the bottom and the others somewhere in between. Unless otherwise noted, all casinos offer: slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and Caribbean stud poker. Some casinos also offer: let it ride (LIR), baccarat (B), mini-baccarat (MB) and poker (P). The minimum gambling age is 21. For more information on Illinois casinos contact the state's Bureau of Tourism at (800) 223-0121.
www.argosycasinos.com Location:(260 miles S.W. of Chicago. 25 miles N. of St. Louis, MO) Reservation Number: (800) 336-SLOT Restaurants: 2 Buffets: B-$6.39 L-$7.47/$11.77(Sun) D-$11.77 Valet Parking: $5 Casino Hours: 8am-4am/6am (Fri-Sat) Casino Size: 19,300 Square Feet Other Games: LIR Casino Marketing: (800) 500-VIP1 Fun Book: Only given to groups Special Features: 1,200-passenger modern yacht on the Mississippi River.
Get Map
Driving Directions
www.casinoqueen.com Location:(290 miles S.W. of Chicago) Reservation Number: (800) 777-0777 Rooms: 150 Price Range: $99-$149 Buffets: B-$3.95 L-$7.95 D-$11.95/$14.95 (Tue/Sat) Valet Parking: $3 Casino Hours: 9am-6:30am Casino Size: 27,500 Square Feet Other Games: MB, LIR Senior Discount: Free admission on Wed. until 3 p.m., if 50 or older. Also receive free danish, coffee, juice, 2-for-1 breakfast or lunch and 35% off in gift shop. Special Features: 2,500-passenger, old-fashioned, paddlewheeler docked on the Mississippi river. 92-space RV park. Sports Bar with 27 tv's and live entertainment on weekends. MetroLink light-rail station at doorstep. 10% room discount to AAA members.
Get Map
Driving Directions
