* Illinois is the second-largest sports betting market in the US. WGN…

The latest data release by the Illinois Gaming Board shows $565 million in gross gaming revenues for the state in August alone, $8 million more than New Jersey.

According to PlayIllinois.com, an online blog based in Las Vegas devoted to news about legal and regulated gambling in Illinois, those revenues were up 9% from July and a whopping 41% from August 2021.

PlayIllinois attributes the growth to a March 2022 change in legislation which allowed Illinois residents to register for sportsbooks through the internet rather than at one of the state’s land-based casinos.

The August data also shows the state has passed the $1 billion mark in gross gaming revenue from online activity since it began 29 months prior. That amount accounts for 94% of all sports bets made, meaning only 6% of sports bets are made in physical books across Illinois.

* Aurora Hollywood Casino may relocate, Patch reports…

A proposal to relocate and expand Aurora’s Hollywood Casino is cleared for a final vote at the Aurora City Council meeting Oct. 25.

If the deal passes — the 12 City Council members had no objections to the proposal at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting — the new resort will be located on Farnsworth Avenue, across from the Chicago Premium Outlets on the city’s east side.

The new Hollywood Casino campus would move from its current location on the Fox River to the I-88 corridor where it would occupy a space that would include a 200-room hotel and a 10,000-square-foot event space, officials said. The city-owned site most recently housed two hotels and a car dealership. […]

The funding includes a $50 million bond issuance from the city, which officials said would be repaid from increased property taxes received from the new site, not from general funds from taxpayers.

“As an added assurance, if property taxes aren’t enough to cover payment in any given year, Penn has agreed to make up the difference,” Clayton wrote in an email.

* CBS 2…

CBS 2’s Shardaa Gray spent Wednesday speaking with business owners near the existing casino, some who want it to stay, while others say good riddance.

One business said they’d like to see the casino stay because it brings in customers. Another business said they’ll do fine if they stay or leave, but one restaurant said the casino is hurting their business. […]

Despite council members wanting to move forward, some residents are against the move.

“I want you to think about this check and next week when I come back, if you vote yes, I’m going to ask you to sign this check,” said Aurora resident David Cannon during a city council meeting.

* Elgin Courier-News…

While other suburban casinos are moving to new locations, Elgin’s Grand Victoria Casino is not only staying put but unveiling a new $4 million renovation that adds a Caesars Sportsbook and a World Series of Poker Room to its downtown operation. […]

Staying competitive in an Illinois gaming market that is “evolving just about every time you turn your head” is the goal, he said, and they’re always looking for ways to add new gaming experiences.

While competitor Hollywood Casino plans to move its Aurora and Joliet casinos to new locations — the former is leaving its downtown spot for a higher traffic area near Interstate 88 and Farnsworth Avenue — Grand Victoria won’t be going anywhere, Guerrero said.

“We are committed to the city of Elgin, to our region,” he said. “We are happy with the support and the assistance we’ve gotten through the community, and we hope to continue those relationships going forward.”

* More…

* Bally’s Chicago Comes to Project Labor Agreement: Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY) today announced that it has signed a Multi-Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council (CCBT) and the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department as it relates to construction of its flagship Bally’s Chicago casino.

* Bullets, Ballots And Bribery Define Early Illinois Gambling History: In Illinois’ early days, Americans generally accepted gambling as entertainment. But, when gambling commercialization took over, criminality followed, and the pastime became associated with laziness and vice —particularly among the upper classes. By 1830, Chicago’s protestant clergy denounced the activity, and city officials followed suit, jailing the owners of at least two local betting parlors.

* Rivers Tops Illinois Casinos Again In September: Last month, all 11 brick-and-mortar casinos in Illinois combined to hold over $113.8 million of gamblers’ wagers on slots and table games. Rivers accounted for about 41.3% of that total with $47 million in gross receipts. The next strongest performer in September 2022 was the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. Gross revenue from slots and table games there for the month came to about $12.1 million. The only other Illinois casino to post gross revenue of at least $10 million in September 2022 was Harrah’s Casino & Hotel in Joliet.

* 2,200 housing units near casino site get plan commission’s OK: The proposal envisions four high-rises, the tallest being 620 feet, or roughly 60 stories. Developer Jeffrey Shapack said he would start the multiphase project by converting a Salvation Army building at 509 N. Union Ave. into a hotel with 141 rooms.