Rivers Casino Des Plaines Owner
Churchill CEO William Carstanjen (Creidt: Getty Images and iStock) The majority owner of Rivers Casino plans to bid on one of six new state-approved casino licenses and will expand its Des Plaines.
Kelsey McCarson@kelsey_mccarsonRivers Casino is located in Des Plaines, Illinois about one mile from O'Hare International Airport at River Toad and Devon Ave. It opened as a riverboat casino in July 2011. 2019 the Illinois Gaming Board approved an application from Rivers Casino to move onto dry land. In March, Churchill Downs acquired a majority stake in Rivers Casino in Des Plaines — a 25-minute drive from Arlington — fueling speculation it could sell the racetrack. Midwest Gaming assumed ownership of Rivers Casino Des Plaines in December 2008. It is believed it was granted a license by the state regulator because of its plan to bring in more female and minority investors. Aside from Rivers Casino, Churchill Downs also owns Arlington International Racecourse in the greater Chicago area. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Rivers Casino (originally going to be named the Majestic Star Casino) is a casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by Holdings Acquisition Co. L.P., a joint venture of Walton Street Capital LLC and High Pitt Gaming LP.
August 7th
, 2019 - 09:15am@kelsey_mccarsonThe new majority owner of Rivers Casino intends to expand the Des Plaines casino facility and apply for one of the six new casino licenses offered under the state’s newly expanded Illinois gaming program, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Churchill Downs completed its $407 million purchase of Rivers Casino’s parent company, Midwest Gaming, earlier this year, according to a company release. The company seems to be wasting no time in seeking to expand gaming operations in Illinois to full capacity.
Rivers Casino is already the state’s largest casino, and a popular destination for Chicago area residents and visitors. The casino is in Des Plaines, a suburb just north of Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport.
Churchill Downs Wasting No Time
During a recent conference call with shareholders, according to a yahoo.com report, CEO Bill Carstanjen said Rivers Casino has already notified the Illinois Gaming Board that it intends to expand the 1,200 gaming positions it currently offers at the Des Plaines casino to the full 2,000 allowable under new state law.
The expansion will require new construction at the site, but Carstanjen said he expects some of that new space might be handled by restructuring the current layout of the casino.
Carstanjen also said the parking garage is expected to be extended, and that up to 250 additional gaming positions could quickly be created onsite so long as the company receives all the necessary approvals from government officials.
“Rivers will be working with the Illinois Gaming Board to ascertain what is permissible and to scope out the timing and full capital plan,” Carstanjen said.
Additionally, Rivers said the company will seek to invest in the expansion through “utilizing the available debt capacity at the Rivers level or through additional debt raised at the Rivers level.”
Sports Wagering Big Part of Plan
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a sports betting bill into law in June which greatly expanded gaming operations in the state by allowing both online and in-person sports wagers. Carstanjen said Rivers Casino is well positioned to be at the forefront of the new sports betting market in the state.
“Rivers will also pay the $10 million licensing fee in early 2020 to obtain an Illinois sports wagering license and will construct the sportsbook within its existing footprint,” Carstanjen said. “All of this is very, very exciting.”
Moreover, Rivers Casino is expected to offer sports betting both online and in-person. That should help give the company a leg up on the competition, as Illinois' sports betting bill limits sportsbooks offering online wagering menus to only those with ties to brick-and-mortar locations such as Rivers Casino.
“We will participate in this new market through our 61% ownership of Rivers, and certainly, we have the option to do so separately through our horse racing licenses,” Carstanjen said. 'We will announce our plans soon.”
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sharetweetcopy linkLink copied!WRITTEN BY@kelsey_mccarson<p>Kelsey McCarson, a veteran sports journalist who also covers boxing and MMA, writes about gambling and online casino news for TopUSCasinos.com. He has written for Bleacher Report, TheSweetScience.com and NYFights.com, and his work has appeared in USA Today, CNN and Fox Sports.</p>... Read More<p>Kelsey McCarson, a veteran sports journalist who also covers boxing and MMA, writes about gambling and online casino news for TopUSCasinos.com. He has written for Bleacher Report, TheSweetScience.com and NYFights.com, and his work has appeared in USA Today, CNN and Fox Sports.</p>... Read MoreARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE
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PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rush Street Gaming announced today that Bill Keena, formerly general manager of Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Illinois, has joined Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh as general manager. Keena and Rush Street opened Rivers Casino in Des Plaines in July 2011. The Chicago-area venue quickly became Illinois’ top-performing casino and has been ever since.
A 30-year casino veteran, Keena began his gaming career in 1988, after graduating from the University of Las Vegas. He joined Harrah’s finance department, where his responsibilities grew to include casino and hotel oversight as general manager of Harrah’s Laughlin, Nevada, and Harrah’s St. Louis, Missouri. Thereafter, he was promoted to regional president for Harrah’s, simultaneously overseeing four full-service casinos and resorts, two in Missouri and two in Iowa.
Rivers Pittsburgh marks Keena’s return to the Rush Street family. He rejoins the company effective immediately, pending approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
“We are thrilled to have Bill back and running one of our properties,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming. “He is an exceptional leader, focused on providing the best customer experience, working closely with the community and fostering our Team Member culture.”
Keena succeeds Craig Clark, who recently left Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. “We thank Craig for his many years of service and wish him the best,” said Carlin.
Rivers Casino opened on Pittsburgh’s North Shore in August of 2009. It features more than 2,900 slots, 92 tables games, a 30-table poker room, nine distinctive restaurants and bars, a riverside amphitheater and a multi-purpose event center. Rivers employs approximately 1,700 Team Members and has been named “Best Overall Gaming Resort in Pennsylvania” for eight consecutive years by Casino Player magazine.
About Rush Street Gaming
Founded by Neil Bluhm and Greg Carlin, Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate successful casinos in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Des Plaines, IL (Chicago area) and Schenectady, NY. By placing an emphasis on superior design and outstanding customer service, Rush Street Gaming has become one of the leading casino developers in the United States. Rush Street’s casinos employ approximately 9,000 Team Members and generate more than $1 billion in annual gaming revenues. For more information, visit www.rushstreetgaming.com.