Illinois Casino Expansion Revealed by Caesars

By Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 11/02/2022

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Illinois Casino Expansion

Last week, entertainment giant Caesars Entertainment revealed that it has spent millions of dollars making improvements and renovations to its Grand Victoria Casino Elgin riverboat casino. According to reports, the casino giant has spent $4 million on improving the facility and has added a range of extra spaces and amenities for visitors to enjoy.

Many of the new facilities have taken over the space where the Indulge Kitchen Buffet eatery was previously housed. There is a lounge in the space that now serves a range of food along with a bar that has 20 big screens.

In addition, the group has added a sportsbook lounge spanning more than 2,000 square feet, a WSOP-branded poker room of 4,400 square feet, and a range of additional facilities.

Improving the Property’s Footprint

According to officials from Caesars, the decision to renovate and expand the floating property was made in a bid to improve its footprint and to make experiences all the more exciting for its customers. The group already has many other gambling properties across the country and has become a household name over the years.

The Grand Victoria Casino Elgin property has been around for nearly three decades, and officials from the casino are excited about the improvements and expansion. One senior official said that it would allow them to improve the casino experience for existing customers and to attract new business and customers.

General manager of the facility, Rolando Guerrero, said the company was really excited:

…to move forward with this and we hope to continue to refine and enhance our customers’ experiences. We see these additions as a win-win for our property as, at the end of the day, we will be a more robust and well-rounded business because of how we are positioning ourselves.

Officials also expect to see a significant increase in revenue because of the expansion, with big improvements coming from both the poker room that has been added and the sportsbook at the floating venue.

It was also revealed that the poker room at the facility will host the first ever World Series of Poker tournament to take place in the state, and this will take place next month.

An Important Investment in the Venue

Guerrero said that the investment in the property was a vital one in terms of helping with growth and enabling the business to thrive. He added that there was a commitment to invest and reinvest among executives and that this would benefit both the company and customers who visit the facility.

He also said that the casino was very grateful for the support and commitment that had been received from the city of Elgin as well as from local communities. Guerrero said that it was important to maintain these relationships moving forward.

The casino premiered its new facilities at the same time that Penn Entertainment Incorporated unveiled its plans to relocate two of its riverboat properties onto dry land. These properties are the Hollywood Casino Aurora and the Hollywood Casino Joliet.