Sportsbook operator William Hill US opened its first location in Illinois Monday at the Grand Victoria riverboat casino in Elgin, marking the company’s 10th state and an extension of its agreement with Caesars Entertainment.
The location is the first since the since Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars in a $17.3 billion merger last month, which the combined company taking on the Caesars name.
The former Eldorado has a partnership agreement with the American subsidiary of the UK-based sports betting giant William Hill. In 2019, Eldorado gained a 20% ownership stake in the business in exchange for a 25-year deal to operate sports betting in the company’s casinos where the activity is legal.
The new sportsbook at Grand Victoria will have three full-service ticket windows and is located on the riverboat’s main casino floor near the bar area, featuring several high-top tables and seating areas for sports viewing.
The company said the new sportsbook marks the beginning of William Hill’s expansion into the Illinois sports betting market. Pending regulatory approval, William Hill will soon offer mobile sports betting across the state.
“The sportsbook is in a prime location that will draw sports fans in and keep them engaged as they cheer on their favorite teams,” Grand Victoria General Manager Bill Gustafson said in a statement.
William Hill President of Operations David Grolman touted Grand Victoria’s location near Chicago.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the community come together to watch their favorite teams as we welcome back the return of our favorite professional sports,” Grolman said. He said William Hill will expand its sport betting operations to other Caesars properties.
Last month, William Hill US CEO Joe Asher said the company will assume operations of 11 Nevada sportsbooks operated by the Caesars that Eldorado acquired in the merger, including Caesars Palace and Harrah’s Las Vegas on the Strip. The company will assume the operations for seven of Caesars’ sportsbooks in other states.
William Hill currently operates 113 race and sportsbooks in Nevada through both retail locations and wagering kiosk, and mobile sports wagering app. The company also operates retail sportsbooks in New Jersey, Indiana, West Virginia, and Iowa, and online in Iowa. William Hill is a licensed sports betting provider in numerous casinos in Mississippi and New Mexico and serves as the exclusive risk manager for the Delaware and Rhode Island sports lotteries.
William Hill is also in the process of opening a sportsbook at the Capitol One Arena in Washington D.C.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
