Illinois Gaming Board Licensed New Casino and Sportsbook Among Other Regulatory Actions During Final Meeting of 2024

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) issued a new casino owners’ license to Wind Creek IL LLC d/b/a Wind Creek Chicago Southland in Homewood and East Hazel Crest during today’s final meeting of 2024. Before the Board voted on licensure, representatives from the casino addressed the Board about their suitability for licensure providing highlights of their operations since opening and sharing their future plans.

“Wind Creek is Illinois’ 16th casino,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “This is the sixth casino license the IGB has issued since enactment of the 2019 landmark gaming expansion legislation that authorized six new casino licenses. The IGB has collected more than $386 million in upfront gaming fees from those new casino operators since the first of the new casinos opened in Rockford in November 2021. These fees have been deposited into the Rebuild Illinois fund for critical infrastructure projects across our State.”

The IGB granted Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort, LLC, a Master Sports Wagering License and granted a Management Services Provider License to Hillside (Illinois) LLC d/b/a bet365. Licensure will permit Walker’s Bluff and bet365 to work together to operate the retail and online sportsbook at Walker’s Bluff, pending satisfaction of further regulatory requirements and approval to commence sports wagering.