Hollywood Casino Aurora
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHollywood Casino Aurora is a casino property in Aurora, Illinois, operated by Penn Entertainment and owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hollywood Casino Aurora is a casino in Aurora, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. The property opened on June 17, 1993, as a riverboat casino on the Fox River and became the first riverboat casino operated under Hollywood Casino Corp. Its initial development reportedly cost $70 million. The property was subsequently acquired by Penn National Gaming, now known as Penn Entertainment, when Penn acquired Hollywood Casino Corp. in 2003. The original venue operated with two casino boats. In 2002, those vessels were replaced by a floating, permanently moored half-circle structure measuring approximately 70,000 square feet. The riverboat-era facility contained about 53,000 square feet of gaming space, more than 1,000 slot machines, 26 table games, and a restaurant called Fairbanks Steakhouse. Its location on the Fox River made it part of the early generation of Illinois riverboat casinos created under the state's riverboat-gaming framework. The property later became the subject of a major relocation and redevelopment plan. Aurora officials and Penn National Gaming supported changes to Illinois law that would permit casinos to operate on land rather than exclusively on riverboats. The relevant land-based casino authorization was enacted through Illinois Senate Bill 690 as part of the Rebuild Illinois legislation signed on June 28, 2019. The planned replacement site occupies approximately 18 acres north of Interstate 88 and west of the Chicago Premium Outlets, bounded by Farnsworth Avenue, Corporate Boulevard, Bilter Road, and Church Road. Aurora's Finance Committee unanimously approved the relocation plan on October 13, 2022, and the full city council approved it by a 10–1 vote on June 27, 2023. Plans for the new complex called for more than 900 slot machines, 50 table games, and a 200-room hotel. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on November 29, 2023, when the project was expected to cost approximately $360 million. On January 23, 2024, the city council approved an 11–1 vote creating a 23-year tax increment financing district around most of the complex's vicinity, excluding the Gonella Bread factory. The riverboat casino closed on June 10, 2026, ahead of the transition to the new property. The land-based Hollywood Casino Aurora at Farnsworth Avenue opened on June 24, 2026. The move represents a shift from a river-based casino format to a larger destination complex intended to combine gaming, hospitality, dining, and access to the western Chicago suburban market. Gaming and Leisure Properties owns the real estate, while Penn Entertainment operates the casino under the Hollywood Casino brand.
History
Hollywood Casino Aurora opened on June 17, 1993, as a riverboat casino on the Fox River in Aurora, Illinois. It was the first riverboat casino developed under Hollywood Casino Corp., and its construction was reported to have cost $70 million. The original facility operated with two casino boats and formed part of the expansion of regulated casino gaming in Illinois. In 2002, the two boats were replaced by a floating, moored half-circle structure. The replacement structure provided approximately 70,000 square feet of total space, including roughly 53,000 square feet dedicated to gaming. During the riverboat period, the venue offered more than 1,000 slot machines, 26 table games, and a restaurant named Fairbanks Steakhouse. Ownership changed in 2003 when Penn National Gaming acquired Hollywood Casino Corp. Penn National later adopted the name Penn Entertainment. The casino consequently became part of Penn's broader Hollywood Casino operating portfolio. Gaming and Leisure Properties became the property's real-estate owner, while Penn Entertainment remained the operator. The property's long-term format changed after Illinois lawmakers authorized land-based casinos. Aurora officials and Penn had advocated for the ability to move the casino from the Fox River to a site north of Interstate 88 and west of the Chicago Premium Outlets. The relevant authorization was included in Illinois Senate Bill 690 and signed into law on June 28, 2019, as part of the Rebuild Illinois program. The proposed replacement complex was planned for an approximately 18-acre site bordered by Farnsworth Avenue, Corporate Boulevard, Bilter Road, and Church Road. The project was designed to include more than 900 slot machines, 50 table games, and a 200-room hotel. Aurora's Finance Committee unanimously approved the relocation plan on October 13, 2022. The full city council then approved it by a 10–1 vote on June 27, 2023. Construction formally advanced with a groundbreaking ceremony on November 29, 2023. At that stage, the development was expected to cost about $360 million. The city council subsequently approved an 11–1 vote on January 23, 2024, establishing a 23-year tax increment financing district in the area surrounding most of the complex, with the Gonella Bread factory excluded from the district. The original riverboat facility closed on June 10, 2026. A new land-based Hollywood Casino Aurora opened at the Farnsworth Avenue site on June 24, 2026. The relocation changed the property from a riverboat gaming venue into a larger casino and hospitality destination intended to serve Aurora, the western suburbs of Chicago, and visitors traveling through the Interstate 88 corridor. The available reference material does not identify individual property executives, detailed promotional campaigns, or scandals associated specifically with the venue.
- 2026
Riverboat venue closes
[1]The original Fox River casino closes on June 10 before the move to the new property.
- 2026
Land-based property opens
[1]The new Hollywood Casino Aurora opens on June 24 at the Farnsworth Avenue site.
- 2024
Tax increment financing district approved
[1]Aurora approves a 23-year tax increment financing district covering most of the vicinity of the new complex.
- 2023
City council approves relocation
[1]Aurora City Council approves the relocation plan by a 10–1 vote.
- 2023
New complex breaks ground
[1]A groundbreaking ceremony is held for the planned Farnsworth Avenue casino and hotel complex.
- 2022
Relocation plan receives committee approval
[1]Aurora's Finance Committee unanimously approves the plan to move the casino to a land-based site.
- 2019
Land-based casino legislation enacted
[1]Illinois enacts land-based casino authorization through Senate Bill 690 as part of Rebuild Illinois.
- 2003
Hollywood Casino Corp. acquired by Penn
[1]Penn National Gaming acquires Hollywood Casino Corp., bringing the Aurora property into Penn's operating portfolio.
- 2002
Floating casino structure introduced
[1]Two original casino boats are replaced by a permanently moored floating half-circle structure.
- 1993
Riverboat casino opens
[1]Hollywood Casino Aurora opens on June 17 on the Fox River in Aurora, Illinois.
Products and positioning
A regional casino and entertainment destination serving Aurora and the western Chicago metropolitan area, transitioning from an Illinois riverboat casino to a larger land-based gaming and hospitality complex.
Casino property · 1993
Riverboat casino
The original Hollywood Casino Aurora operated on the Fox River from 1993 until its closure in 2026. It began with two casino boats and later used a floating, permanently moored half-circle structure. The riverboat-era venue included approximately 53,000 square feet of gaming space, more than 1,000 slot machines, 26 table games, and Fairbanks Steakhouse.
Casino and hospitality complex · 2026
Land-based Hollywood Casino Aurora
The replacement property at Farnsworth Avenue is a land-based casino complex planned for an approximately 18-acre site. Its announced specifications included more than 900 slot machines, 50 table games, and a 200-room hotel. It opened on June 24, 2026, replacing the Fox River riverboat venue.
Brand decisions
2024
Tax increment financing district approvedOtherBackground
The planned casino complex was expected to generate a substantial redevelopment area around the Farnsworth Avenue site.
Action taken
Aurora City Council approved an 11–1 vote creating a 23-year tax increment financing district around most of the complex's vicinity, excluding the Gonella Bread factory.
Aftermath
The financing district supported the municipal framework surrounding the new casino development.
2023
Relocation from the Fox River to Farnsworth AvenueStrategyBackground
Penn and Aurora proposed replacing the riverboat venue with a larger land-based casino and hotel complex near Interstate 88 and the Chicago Premium Outlets.
Action taken
Aurora City Council approved the relocation by a 10–1 vote on June 27, 2023, followed by a groundbreaking ceremony on November 29, 2023.
Aftermath
The riverboat casino closed on June 10, 2026, and the new land-based property opened on June 24, 2026.
Expected project cost. $360 million (As reported at the November 29, 2023 groundbreaking)
2019
Pursuit of land-based casino authorizationStrategyBackground
The riverboat format limited the property's location and expansion options. Aurora officials and Penn National Gaming supported legislative changes allowing the casino to move to a land-based site.
Action taken
Illinois enacted land-based casino authorization through Senate Bill 690 as part of the Rebuild Illinois legislation.
Aftermath
The legislation enabled planning and municipal approval for the relocation of Hollywood Casino Aurora to Farnsworth Avenue.
Sources2 sources
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