In the American state of Illinois and casino operator Caesars Entertainment Incorporated has reportedly spent approximately $4 million in order to renovate its riverboat Grand Victoria Casino Elgin facility.

According to a Thursday report from the Elgin Courier-News newspaper, the scheme has involved the floating property adding a 2,100 sq ft sportsbook as well as a 4,400 sq ft World Series of Poker-branded poker room featuring 20 gaming tables. The source detailed that these new amenities are situated within a space that previously housed the floating property’s Indulge Kitchen Buffet eatery and are complemented by a bar with 20 large televisions as well as a food-friendly lounge.

Improvement intent:

Caesars Entertainment Incorporated is reportedly already responsible for over 50 gambling-friendly properties spread across the United States including the Caesars Atlantic City, Horseshoe Indianapolis and Flamingo Las Vegas venues. The Nasdaq-listed operator purportedly stated that the new additions to its Grand Victoria Casino Elgin facility are all part of a continuing effort to ‘better leverage’ its footprint so as to further enhance customer experiences.

Customer concentration:

Rolando Guerrero serves as the General Manager for the 28-year-old Grand Victoria Casino Elgin facility and he reportedly told the newspaper that his firm purchased the floating Kane County enterprise in 2020 and is ‘focused on the guest experience’ all while ‘trying to attract new business and new players.’ The experienced professional moreover disclosed that aficionados can now wager on a wide range of sporting events via three betting windows and four self-service kiosks while the adjacent poker room has games with jackpots as high as $500,000.

Guerrero reportedly told the Elgin Courier-News…

“We’re very excited to move forward with this and we hope to continue to refine and enhance our customers’ experiences. We see these additions as a win-win for our property as, at the end of the day, we will be a more robust and well-rounded business because of how we are positioning ourselves.”

Marquee kick-off:

Las Vegas-headquartered Caesars Entertainment Incorporated reportedly divulged that the poker room within its Grand Victoria Casino Elgin property is destined to next month host the midwestern state’s first-ever World Series of Poker tournament. The operator purportedly went on to forecast that this new amenity could see the Elgin venue’s on-site poker revenues rise by as much as 22% with sports betting potentially adding another 10% boost.

A statement from Guerrero reportedly read…

“Like any business, we want to thrive here. But, at the same time, we recognized it’s got to come with a commitment to invest and investment dollars and our parent company has come through in a big way to bring this to life.”

Rival relocations:

Guerrero reportedly noted that the new Grand Victoria Casino Elgin amenities have been premiered just as operator Penn Entertainment Incorporated has announced plans to move its nearby Hollywood Casino Aurora and Hollywood Casino Joliet riverboat properties onto dry land. The figure purportedly asserted that the Illinois casino market is ‘evolving just about every time you turn your head’ with his company always looking for ways to add new gaming experiences.

Guerrero’s statement reportedly read…

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