Penn to close Hollywood Casino Aurora riverboat
The company is preparing for the opening of Hollywood Casino Aurora, which will replace the riverboat venue.
US.- Penn Entertainment has announced that it plans to close its Hollywood Casino Aurora riverboat property on the Fox River in Illinois on June 10. The closure comes as the company prepares for the opening of the $360m new land-based property, which will replace the riverboat casino.
Gaming operations at the riverboat property will maintain their normal operating hours until closing on June 10. The new land-based Hollywood Casino Aurora is set to open on June 24, pending regulatory approvals.
The new land-based property is located at 2500 N. Farnsworth Ave. in Aurora. It will have 1,200 gaming positions, including high-limit slots and table games, a baccarat room and a sportsbook. The venue also has a hotel with 226 rooms and suites, an outdoor entertainment area, a spa, bars and restaurants, a 12,000-square-foot event centre and approximately 1,700 parking spaces.
A website will be launched on June 10 to provide information on restaurant hours and menus. The hotel began accepting reservations in May.
Jay Snowden, CEO and president of Penn Entertainment, said: “We are less than a month away from welcoming our loyal customers and guests to the new state-of-the-art Hollywood Casino Aurora. Our Aurora riverboat has created thousands of memorable experiences and supported economic development throughout the city for over three decades, and we look forward to replicating these successes for years to come.”
Rafael Verde, senior vice president of operations for Penn Entertainment, added: “Our new location is ideally situated to welcome guests to enjoy a broad array of entertainment and dining experiences in the region. In the meantime, we invite our customers to visit our nearby locations, including the new Hollywood Casino Joliet and Ameristar East Chicago.”
The company previously opened the land-based Hollywood Casino Joliet in August 2025. The $185m property replaced a riverboat casino that had operated on the shores of the Des Plaines River since 1992.
