Slot machines in Illinois bars, restaurants, truck stops, and convenience stores produced $228.8 million in revenue in May, more than double the amount won by the state’s casinos, according to numbers released by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Video gaming terminals number 39,752 in more than 7,710 locations, the equivalent of 31 casinos (which are limited to 1,200 slot machines apiece). The May winnings represent a 55 percent surge over 2019 — VGT locations having been closed due to COVID-19 in May 2020 — in part due to a 25 percent increase in the number of machines in the marketplace. They averaged $186 win per slot per day.
Twenty-eight percent of the state’s VGTs are owned by Accel Entertainment, which generated $64.5 million in revenue for the month, averaging $164 win per slot per day, well above the company’s expected $130. Other operators of consequence include J&J Gaming Ventures, Gold Rush Amusements, and Prairie State Gaming. Unlike Accel, those three are privately held.
By contrast, Illinois casinos won only $107 million in May, down 9.5 percent from 2019. Market-leading (39 percent share) Rivers Casinos Des Plaines beat the trend, grossing $41.5 million and rising 5 percent. Grand Victoria in Elgin, owned by Caesars Entertainment, was down 2 percent to $13 million. As for other Caesars-owned casinos, Harrah’s Joliet fell 24 percent to $11.5 million and Harrah’s Metropolis was down 20 percent to $5 million. Of Penn National Gaming’s casinos, Empress Joliet was down 26 percent to $8 million, while Hollywood Casino Aurora fell 13 percent for a $9 million gross. Argosy Belle, in Alton, improved substantially (166.5 percent, according to JP Morgan analysts) for a final $3 million. It had been closed in much of May 2019 due to flooding.
Newcomer Bally’s Corp. fared worst, with revenues declining 34 percent at Jumer’s Casino Rock Island to finish at $4 million. DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis was down 29.5 percent to $6 million, while Boyd Gaming’s Par-a-Dice casino in Peoria dipped 14 percent, also to $6 million.
