Penn Entertainment celebrates Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora opening in Illinois
The $360m land-based property has replaced the former riverboat venue.
US.- Penn Entertainment has celebrated the opening of Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora in Illinois. The $360m land-based property replaces the former riverboat venue that started operating on the Fox River in 1993 and closed in June.
The roughly 388,500 square foot new venue features over 1,000 slot machines, over 50 table games, a baccarat room, and a retail sportsbook. There’s a 226-room hotel, a spa, bars and restaurants, a 12,000-square-foot event centre and meeting rooms. It employs approximately 700 team members and will be open 24/7.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Illinois Gaming Board officials, dignitaries, state legislators, and team members.
Jay Snowden, CEO and president of Penn Entertainment, said: “We are proud to officially welcome guests and players to the exciting, all-new Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora. Together with our landside move in Joliet last summer, we have reinvested over $500m in the Chicagoland market over the last three years, resulting in more jobs, meaningful state and local tax revenue, and further enhancing the region as a must-visit destination. Our roots in Aurora run deep, and we are committed to extending our 33-year legacy as a leader in world-class dining, hospitality, entertainment, gaming, and guest experience for years to come.”
Rafael Verde, senior vice president of regional operations for Penn, added: “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora, made possible through support from the city of Aurora, the Illinois Gaming Board, and all of our partners, including the hundreds of tradesmen and women who built this incredible new property from the ground up. We are grateful for these partnerships and are eager to showcase the collaborative effort to transition from riverboat gaming to an entertainment destination.”
The company opened its land-based Hollywood Casino Joliet in August 2025, replacing a riverboat casino that had operated on the shores of the Des Plaines River since 1992.
