Caesars spends $4m on new sportsbook at Grand Victoria Casino
Caesars Entertainment has announced enhancements at the Illinois riverboat casino.
US.- Caesars Entertainment Incorporated has reportedly spent around $4m to renovate its riverboat Grand Victoria Casino Elgin. The Illinois venue will have a refurbished sportsbook and a new World Series of Poker (WSOP) poker room.
The new sportsbook and WSOP poker room will open in space previously occupied by Indulge Kitchen Buffet. It covers 2,100 square feet, while the poker room occupies 4,400 square feet and features 20 tables. The sportsbook has three customer service windows and four self-service kiosks.
Grand Victoria Casino is approximately 40 miles west of downtown Chicago along the banks of the Fox River. The property features 1,088 slot machines, 30 table games, a 12-table poker room and four dining options. In November, it will host the first WSOP event to be held in Illinois. Caesar bought the casino in 2020.
See also: Caesars Sportsbook celebrates expansion at Capital One Arena in Washington DC
Rolando Guerrero, Grand Victoria general manager, told local media Caesars was “focused on the guest experience” and was “trying to attract new business and new players.”
“We’re very excited to move forward with this and we hope to continue to refine and enhance our customers’ experiences. We see these additions as a win-win for our property as, at the end of the day, we will be a more robust and well-rounded business because of how we are positioning ourselves,” he said.
See also: Revenue at Illinois casinos totals $117.3m in August
Sports betting in Illinois
Illinois sportsbooks took $564.8 in bets in August, up 9.4 per cent from the $516.4m wagered in July and up 41 per cent from August 2021. The figures reported by the Illinois Gaming Board show $540m was from mobile wagering and $24.8m from retail sportsbooks.
The IGB reported $47.8m in revenue, a hold of nearly 8.5 per cent. The state received close to $7.2m in taxes, contributing to a year-to-date total of around $65.3m.
FanDuel, which took $180.2m in bets online and at its retail sportsbook at the Fairmount Park racetrack, led the way. In second place was DraftKings, with a $172.2m handle, followed by BetRivers, with $74.2m.
