Aurora Riverboat Casino To Close Ahead Of Land-Based Casino Opening

AURORA, IL — With less than one month out until Aurora's new $360 million casino opens, the city's riverboat casino is set to close on June 10.

"Our Aurora riverboat has created thousands of memorable experiences and supported economic development throughout the city for over three decades, and we look forward to replicating these successes for years to come," Jay Snowden, CEO and president of Penn Entertainment, said in a statement.

The redevelopment agreement between Aurora and Penn Entertainment requires the company to demolish the existing casino — including the barge, building and walkway over the Fox River — and turn the land over to the city.

Gaming operations at the downtown Aurora casino, which first opened in 1993, will continue through 5:59 a.m. June 10. Any unused chips from the riverboat casino can be cashed in at the new casino cage until Dec. 31, 2026.

Located at 2500 N. Farnsworth Ave., the land-based casino, adjacent to the Chicago Premium Outlets, will pack a 226-room hotel, more than 1,200 table and machine gaming stations, a sports betting operation, a spa and an event center onto nearly 19 acres of land.

The casino is expected to open June 24, pending customary regulatory approvals, representatives said. The hotel began accepting reservations in May.

The casino is expected to launch its new website on June 10 to provide information about restaurant hours, menus and reservation systems.

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"Our new location is ideally situated to welcome guests to enjoy a broad array of entertainment and dining experiences in the region," Rafael Verde, senior vice president of operations for Penn, said in a statement. "In the meantime, we invite our customers to visit our nearby locations, including the new Hollywood Casino Joliet and Ameristar East Chicago."

Penn Entertainment broke ground on the Aurora casino in November 2024.