City Directory — Illinois
Casinos Near Aurora, Illinois
1 verified casino near Aurora. Browse the directory, check addresses, and compare players club options before you visit.
1 verified casino near Aurora. Browse the directory, check addresses, and compare players club options before you visit.
1 verified casino location within driving distance of Aurora.
Hollywood Casino Aurora participates in Penn Entertainment's mychoice rewards program, which earns points on both slots and table games across five tier levels. Sign up at the players club desk before your first session — points are not retroactive.
Hollywood Casino Aurora is a Penn Entertainment commercial casino resort that opened in 2026 on the Fox River in downtown Aurora following a $360 million redevelopment. The property features a gaming floor of approximately 50,000 square feet with more than 1,000 slot machines and over 50 live table games, along with a 226-room hotel, full-service spa, dedicated sportsbook, and a 12,000-square-foot event center. A celebrity chef restaurant from Giada De Laurentiis anchors the dining program, and the casino is one of the few suburban Chicago gaming destinations reachable by Metra commuter rail.
Aurora is Illinois’ second-largest city, with a population of roughly 180,000 spread along the Fox River about 35 miles west of downtown Chicago. It has been a gaming destination since the early 1990s, when Hollywood Casino Aurora became one of the original licensed riverboat casinos in the state. The property has evolved considerably over three decades of operation, culminating in a major redevelopment that opened in mid-2026 as a modern land-based destination representing a $360 million investment by Penn Entertainment.
When Illinois first authorized riverboat gaming in 1990, Aurora was among the first markets selected for a license. Hollywood Casino Aurora operated from a riverboat on the Fox River for many years before state law changes allowed it to move ashore. The transition to a land-based facility gave Penn Entertainment — the casino’s corporate parent and one of the largest commercial gaming operators in North America — the opportunity to rebuild the property from the ground up, creating a full-service resort-casino complex that serves both the Fox Valley market and the broader Chicago suburban corridor.
The new Hollywood Casino Aurora is a significantly larger and more comprehensive destination than the riverboat property it replaced, featuring a hotel, spa, expanded dining, a major event center, and a modernized gaming floor designed to compete at the resort level.
Hollywood Casino Aurora participates in Penn Entertainment’s My Choice rewards program. The program operates on five tier levels: Choice, Advantage, Preferred, Elite, and Owners Club. Higher-tier members gain access to the VIP Lounge, receive complimentary valet and self-parking, and earn enhanced comp rates on dining and hotel stays. Points accumulate on all eligible slot and table game play, and the My Choice app allows members to track balances, receive personalized offers, and manage their account from a mobile device. Free enrollment is available at any My Choice desk inside the casino or through the Penn Entertainment website.
Hollywood Casino Aurora is situated in downtown Aurora at 1 W New York Street, directly on the Fox River. From Chicago, take I-88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) West to the Farnsworth Avenue or Route 59 exits, then follow local roads south into downtown Aurora — total drive time from downtown Chicago is approximately 50 to 60 minutes in normal conditions. From the western suburbs, US-30 and IL-25 both provide direct access to the Aurora downtown riverfront area.
Metra’s BNSF Railway commuter line serves Aurora Station, which is within walking distance of the casino’s downtown location. The BNSF line runs directly to Chicago Union Station, making Hollywood Casino Aurora one of the few suburban gaming destinations in Illinois reachable by public transit from downtown Chicago without a transfer. Round-trip train service makes it practical for Chicago residents to visit as a day trip without renting a car.
Self-parking in the casino’s dedicated structure is available, and valet service is offered at the main entrance. The downtown Aurora location puts the casino within easy walking distance of the Fox River waterfront, the Paramount Theatre — one of the Fox Valley’s premier entertainment venues — and a growing selection of downtown Aurora restaurants and bars.
Downtown Aurora has undergone significant revitalization in recent years. The Paramount Theatre at 23 E Galena Blvd is a restored 1931 venue that books major touring Broadway productions and concerts, and it sits just blocks from the casino. The RiverEdge Park amphitheater hosts outdoor concerts along the Fox River during the summer months. Several independent restaurants and bars in the New York Street corridor provide dining options beyond the casino itself.
For overnight visitors, the Hollywood Casino Aurora hotel is the obvious choice, but additional hotel options exist along the US-30 and IL-59 corridors west of downtown, covering the full range of major chains. The Fox Valley Mall in nearby Aurora provides substantial retail options, and the broader DuPage County area to the north and east includes a wide selection of suburban amenities within a 15-minute drive.
Use the map on each casino card to get directions from your exact starting point. All listed casinos include their verified OpenStreetMap coordinates. Click "Find Casinos Near Me" on the homepage map to fly to your GPS location and see the nearest casino cities highlighted.
Most casino properties near Aurora offer a free loyalty club. Sign up at the players club desk before you play — points are not retroactive. Benefits typically include free-play credits, dining discounts, and hotel rates at casino resort properties.
The minimum gambling age in Illinois is 21 at most properties. Set a budget before you arrive and stick to it. If you experience problems with gambling, call 1-800-270-7117 — free, confidential, 24/7.