05/13/2026
Current State of the New Location
The new Hollywood Casino Aurora is set to open June 24, 2026 at 2500 N. Farnsworth Ave., across from Chicago Premium Outlets near I-88. This $360 million land-based facility represents a dramatic upgrade from the downtown riverboat, featuring approximately 1,200 gaming positions, a 226-room luxury hotel with Drift Spa, and celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis’s restaurant Sorella by Giada. The development includes a 12,000 square foot event center, outdoor entertainment area, and approximately 1,700 parking spaces—nearly doubling Penn Entertainment’s Aurora workforce to 700 employees.[investors.pennentertainment +1]
Construction is nearing completion with exterior work finished and interior build-outs underway, including installation of bathrooms, back-of-house kitchens, and the raised gaming floor. This represents the second Penn Entertainment property in Illinois to complete an inland relocation, following the August 2025 opening of Hollywood Casino Joliet.[casinobeats +1]
Plans for the Old Downtown Location
The downtown riverboat site faces an uncertain future despite a contractual redevelopment requirement. Under the Redevelopment Agreement, Penn Entertainment must demolish the existing casino barge, building, and Fox River walkway, then transfer the land to the City of Aurora. However, the city acknowledges that “future planning is necessary to determine the highest and best use for the downtown location”.[hollywoodcasinoaurora +1]
The two existing downtown parking decks currently used by the casino will remain city property and become available for general public use, potentially supporting RiverEdge Park, the Paramount Theatre, and spurring additional downtown development. The city describes this as “a tremendous opportunity to build something truly unique and exciting to continue to strengthen the downtown,” though no specific redevelopment plans have been announced.[hollywoodcasinoaurora]