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| Illinois Casinos |
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Illinois was the second state to legalize riverboat casinos. Riverboat casinos began operating there in September 1991 with the launching of the first boat: the Alton Belle. All Illinois riverboats remain dockside and do not cruise. Unlike Mississippi, however, the casinos are not open 24 hours and state law limits the number of gaming licenses to 10. As of August 2007, there were nine casinos in operation and the 10th license was the subject of a lawsuit. It is unlikely that a 10th casino will open before late 2008. Here’s information from the Illinois Gaming Board showing each casino’s average slot payback percentage for the one-year period from June 1, 2006 through May 30, 2007:
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines. As you can see, the Casino Queen returned the most to its slot machine players, while Harrah’s in Metropolis returned the least. Admission is free to all Illinois casinos and, unless otherwise noted, all casinos offer: slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean stud poker and three card poker. Some casinos also offer: let it ride (LIR), baccarat (B), mini-baccarat (MB), poker (P) and pai gow poker (PGP). If you want to order a drink while playing, be aware that Illinois gaming regulations do not allow casinos to provide free alcoholic beverages. The minimum gambling age is 21. For more information on visiting Illinois contact the state’s Bureau of Tourism at (800) 226-6632 or www.enjoyillinois.com Shown below is a list of all Illinois casinos. Click on a casino name to see a page of detailed information about that particular casino. |
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