Penn Entertainment on Tuesday announced the Hollywood Casino Aurora riverboat property in Illinois will close at 5:59 a.m. CDT on June 10 in preparation for the grand opening of a $360 million land-based property set to open on June 24.
The project, at Farnsworth Avenue and Bilter Road across the street from Chicago Premium Outlets mall and near the Interstate 88 interchange, has been under construction since 2023. The casino, hotel and restaurants are opening as planned on June 24.
“We are less than a month away from welcoming our loyal customers and guests to the new state-of-the-art Hollywood Casino Aurora,” Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said in a statement. “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.”
The new Hollywood Casino Aurora will feature about 1,200 gaming positions, including a high-limit slots and table games, a baccarat room and sportsbook.
The property also will feature a premium hotel with 226 rooms and suites, outdoor entertainment area, full-service spa, high-quality bars and restaurants including Sorella by Giada and Boulevard Food & Drink Hall. There also will be an about 12,000-square-foot event center with meeting areas and roughly 1,700 parking spaces.
All gaming operations at the riverboat property will maintain their normal operating hours until closing at 5:59am CDT June 10.
The hotel began accepting reservations in May.
“Our new location is ideally situated to welcome guests to enjoy a broad array of entertainment and dining experiences in the region,” said Penn Entertainment Senior Vice President of Operations Rafael Verde. “In the meantime, we invite our customers to visit our nearby locations, including the new Hollywood Casino Joliet and Ameristar East Chicago.”
Nearby Hollywood Casino Joliet, which opened in 2025, and Ameristar East Chicago, just over the state line in Indiana, are part of the same Penn Play customer rewards program as Hollywood Casino Aurora. Any unused chips from the Hollywood Casino Aurora riverboat location can be cashed in at the new Hollywood Casino Aurora cage until December 31.
Hollywood Casino Aurora expects to launch its new website June 10 to provide information on restaurant hours, menus and reservation systems.
