Casino Queen East Saint Louis Il
The decision by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to unfreeze the state’s 11 regions in Tier 3 of its COVID-19 mitigation plan has resulted in three additional casinos across the state to be eligible for opening at limited capacity starting Tuesday, raising the total number to six.
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The Casino Queen is a riverboat casino located near the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois, just across the river from downtown St. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by an employee-owned management company.
Gaming in all forms had been suspended since Nov. 17, when the second wave of the pandemic resulted in increased positive cases throughout the state. Under the previous system, the metrics in two of the state’s regions allowed the Illinois Gaming Board to permit the opening of Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria, Jumer’s Casino in Rock Island, and Harrah’s Metropolis to open Saturday with limited hours of operation at 25% capacity.
Pritzker’s move to unfreeze regions resulted in nine of them moving forward into at least Tier 2, which allows for the opening of casinos. This includes Region 10, home to Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the highest-performing casino among the 10 in Illinois. Rivers, along with Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin and Hollywood Casino Aurora in Region 8, are eligible to reopen at 25% capacity beginning Tuesday, according to the IGB’s official website.
We are excited to welcome you back through our doors on Tuesday, January 19 at 2:00PM pending regulatory approval. The safety of our guests and team members remains our top priority. We are continuing to implement protective measures. pic.twitter.com/qud0tF0TtD
— Rivers Casino (@RiversCasinoCHI) January 19, 2021
Harrah’s Metropolis, located in Region 5, is eligible to expand its capacity to 50% as Region 5 is one of two to enter Phase 4, which was the highest level casinos could operate from their initial re-opening July 1 until November’s shutdown.
Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, which is located in Region 10 and offers retail sports betting via PointsBet, will open at noon local time Wednesday. Region 10 encompasses the Cook County suburbs surrounding Chicago.
Four casinos — DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Argosy Casino Alton, Hollywood Casino Joliet, and Harrah’s Joliet — remain closed as Regions 4 and 7, respectively, remain in Tier 3. Par-A-Dice and Jumer’s moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1, which means they remain operating at 25% capacity but do have the ability to provide indoor dining in non-gaming areas subject to Illinois Department of Public Health guidance for restaurant and bars.
Are retail sportsbooks open?
Of the six casinos eligible to open, four — Rivers Casino via BetRivers, Par-A-Dice via FanDuel, Grand Victoria Casino through William Hill, and Hollywood Aurora — have retail sports betting available. While Jumer’s Casino does not have any form of sports betting, the IGB recently listed the northwest Illinois venue as an applicant for an owner’s license after noting an application was submitted Dec. 28.
Jumer’s was purchased by Twin River Worldwide for $120 million in cash in October prior to Twin River’s rebranding to the Bally’s Corporation, which has recently positioned itself to be a player in the sports betting industry through a media deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group to rebrand 21 FOX regional sports networks and its purchase of Bet.works in November.
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| Casino Queen | |
|---|---|
| Location | East St. Louis, Illinois |
| Address | 2000 S Front St |
| Opening date | June 23, 1993 |
| Total gaming space | 38,000 sq ft (3,500 m2) |
| Casino type | Riverboat |
| Owner | Gaming and Leisure Properties |
| Operating license holder | Employee-owned management company |
| Coordinates | 38°37′33″N90°10′34″W / 38.62583°N 90.17611°W |
| Website | CasinoQueen.com |
The Casino Queen is a riverboat casino located near the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois, just across the river from downtown St. Louis. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by an employee-owned management company.
History[edit]
Casino Queen East Saint Louis Il Drivers License
Illinois enacted a riverboat casino law in 1990 authorizing licenses for ten casinos to open around the state.[1] One of the licenses was guaranteed to East St. Louis, in an effort to help the financially troubled city.[2][3] The group that would ultimately open the Casino Queen, led by real estate developer Bill Koman, submitted its proposal to the Illinois Gaming Board in January 1992.[4] With no other proposals before the board, Koman's group was awarded the license in May 1992.[5]
The Casino Queen opened on June 23, 1993.[6] It was viewed positively by most city officials and residents, as the struggling city desperately needed both a revenue source and employment opportunities for its residents.[7] Casino Queen originally operated on a boat called the White Star One.
Construction of a hotel began in 1998.[8] The 157-room hotel, built at a cost of $15 million, opened in January 2000.[9]
Changed regulations led to the casino to be moved inland, but still built above a shallow pit of water, in 2007. The move also allowed the casino to add 10,000 additional square feet of gaming space. In 2014, the White Star One was auctioned off and sold for $600,000.[10] Casino Queen has generated over $160 million for the city of East St. Louis between 1993 and 2009.[11]
In 2012, Koman and his partners sold the Casino Queen for $170 million to a newly formed Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which would steer the casino's profits into the retirement accounts of participating employees.[12] In 2014, to pay down debt taken on to finance the purchase, the ESOP sold the real estate of the Casino Queen to Gaming and Leisure Properties for $140 million, leasing it back for $14 million per year.[13][14]
In 2020, the casino struck a deal with sports betting provider DraftKings to rebrand the property as DraftKings at Casino Queen.[15] As part of the rebranding, Sevens sports bar will be gutted and re-built as a full sportsbook, and the casino will be integrated into DraftKings' mobile betting app.[15]
Property information[edit]
The casino includes both 1,100 slots and 34 table games in its 38,000 square feet of gaming space.[16] Per Illinois law and unlike neighboring Missouri casinos, it is not open 24 hours a day.[17]
Dining options include: the Market Street Buffet, Prime Steakhouse, Sevens, and Deli & Chips.
Both a hotel and an RV Park are located on the Casino Queen property.
References[edit]
- ^Robert Kelly (February 8, 1990). 'Dice to be rollin' on the river'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Kathleen Best (September 11, 1990). 'East side casino assured: E. St. Louis wins right to riverboat'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Lynn Sweet (July 3, 1990). '10 vie for 5 riverboat gambling licenses'. Chicago Sun-Times – via NewsBank.
- ^'William Koman seeks license for casino boat in E. St. Louis'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 3, 1992 – via NewsBank.
- ^Patrick E. Gauen (May 15, 1992). 'Illinois backs casino at E. St. Louis site'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Margaret Gillerman (June 24, 1993). 'Casino Queen, a city's dreamboat, sails at last'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Brett Pulley (21 July 1998). 'Casino Changes the Fortune Of a Hard-Luck Illinois City'. The New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^'Mayor says hotel signals renewal of East St. Louis'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 18, 1998 – via NewsBank.
- ^Denise Hollinshed (January 4, 2000). 'New hotel at Casino Queen opens for business with views of St. Louis skyline'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Robert Patrick (4 April 2014). 'Old Casino Queen yields $600,000 at auction'. St Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^'Gambling on the future of East St Louis'. Lindenwood University. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^Tim Logan (December 28, 2012). 'Employee-owners hope to reverse Casino Queen's fortunes'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- ^Lisa Brown (December 10, 2013). 'REIT buying Casino Queen real estate for $140 million'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- ^'Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. closes acquisition of the real estate assets related to the Casino Queen in East St. Louis for $140 million' (Press release). Gaming and Leisure Properties. January 23, 2014. Retrieved 2020-07-26 – via GlobeNewswire.
- ^ ab'In deal with sports wagering firm, Casino Queen rebrands as DraftKings at Casino Queen'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 24, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- ^'Casino Queen'. Clayco. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^'IL Says Casino Queen Can't Stay Open 24 Hours'. St Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 17 November 2019.