Penn Entertainment's Hollywood Casino Aurora brought in $17.4 million in its first month of operation. The property opened in late June and took third place among Illinois casinos by revenue; its predecessor, a floating riverboat casino, ranked ninth.
Hotel drove VIP spend up 20%
The main difference is the on-site hotel. Penn CEO Jay Snowden said it immediately lifted VIP spending by more than 20%. 'When they stay at the hotel, their average spend is significantly higher than it was at the old property,' he told analysts on the quarterly call. The casino drew 156,000 visitors since launch. Snowden added that handle 'nearly doubled in the first full month' but expects the novelty effect to fade.
The $360 million casino sits on a 77,000-square-metre site with over 50 live tables, more than 1,000 slots, a sportsbook, restaurants and an event centre. The old riverboat operated from 1993; it will be handed to the city for redevelopment.
Illinois market growing
July casino revenue across the state rose 23.3% year-on-year to $167.5 million. Rivers Casino Des Plaines led with $44 million GGR. Wind Creek Chicago Southland came second at $18.8 million, Hollywood third. Sports betting fell more than 10% year-on-year despite May events including the NBA playoffs and Kentucky Derby.
