Illinois Casinos Can Reopen Starting July 1

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Casino and video gambling will be permitted to resume in Illinois next week following three-and-a-half months of forced closures in response to the spread of the new coronavirus, officials announced Thursday.

Operators of all 10 casinos and each of the state's licensed video gambling terminals have submitted pandemic reopening plans to state regulators, and all will be allowed to again offer in-person gambling at 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.

All video gaming operations have been suspended in Illinois since March 16 in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Some activities will remain prohibited, including poker rooms, table game tournaments, valet parking and buffets.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his administration is looking to take a measured approach to reopening. At a news conference Thursday, he said he was focused on ensuring people are safe when resuming recently restricted pursuits.

"I'm not an expert in terms of how many times you need to wipe down a video terminal to make it safe," Pritzker said. "That's one example of a detail that needs to be handled by people who understand the industry well."

Casinos in Wisconsin began opening late last month, while Indiana casinos were permitted to reopen with similar restrictions on June 15.

Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said the board worked with Pritzker's office and state health and commerce officials to develop a process to restart gambling in a "meaningful way" while protecting public health.

"The video and casino gaming industry have worked cooperatively and professionally with the [board] to develop best practices that create the safest possible environment for gaming, while adhering to [Illinois Department of Public Health], [Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity], and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") guidance," Fruchter said in a statement. "We appreciate their cooperation and work toward the mutual goal of a resumption that protects the safety and integrity of Illinois gaming."

Pritzker praised the gaming board's work developing resumption protocols to guide operators of casinos and video gambling terminals.

"The gaming board is doing a very good job, I think, of taking those things into consideration," the governor said. "The number one driving factor is: people should not get sick while doing those activities."

Illinois casinos generated $1.35 billion in revenue last year, which generated over $455 million for state and local governments — a drop of more than 20 percent since 2012.

A year ago, Illinois lawmakers legalized gambling on sports and issued six new casino licenses, including one in the Chicago area and several in the suburbs.

Last week, seven Illinois casinos received licenses from the gaming board to begin offering sports betting, and Rivers Casino in Des Plaines launched the state's first online sportsbook.

Rivers Casino spokesperson Patrick Skarr Thursday declined to disclose when the Des Plaines casino, the state's busiest, would reopen, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Illinois Casino Gaming Association Executive Director Tom Swoik told the Chicago Sun-Times that staff would continuously monitor all machines and tables and wipe down every surface.

"The casinos are gonna be some of the safest places people can be," he said.