Illinois Poker Rooms Could Reopen Any Day Now

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All of Illinois’ casino areas are closed for the first time in over a year, but they have the freedom to reopen whenever they choose.

Poker rooms are available at the Elgin Grand Victoria Casino, Aurora Hollywood Casino, and Jumer’s Casino & Hotel.

Tom Swoik, the Executive Director of ICGA, has announced that poker rooms and buffet service can now reopen. This follows a memo sent to the organization by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) on Friday.

Standard protocols regarding social distancing, mask wearing and the like are yet to be established in casinos. However, they now have the authority to make that decision.

Casinos continue to operate at 50% capacity as required by Phase 4 of their COVID-19 reopening guidelines. With the pandemic situation in the Land of Lincoln showing improvement, capacity limits are expected to increase in the upcoming weeks.

On June 11, Illinois hopes to resume entirely.

Last week, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated his intention to completely lift restrictions in the state by June 11, provided there are no major setbacks in the state’s key COVID-19 indicators.

As a result, it makes sense for casinos to resume poker rooms since gambling would then be available at full capacity, not just 50%.

The decision now lies with the casinos. Joliet Harrah & rsquo, one such casino, indefinitely shut down its poker room during the pandemic.

It’s also crucial to highlight that Illinois will continue following the CDC’s face mask guidelines despite its complete reopening plans. Consequently, even when poker rooms resume operations, a mask mandate will still be in effect.

Illinois will transition into the “bridge phase” on May 14, which is a stage just before complete reopening. During this phase, most indoor venues will see an increase in capacity restrictions from 50% to 60%.

It appears that the rules for the poker room adhere to the gate period.

Could Illinois immediately experience online poker?

Bills that propose the legalization of online casino games, including online poker, in Illinois are present in both the House and Senate. These bills explicitly refer to live dealer versions of these games.

A House Executive Committee hearing took place in late April, during which lawmakers and witnesses deliberated on HB 3142. Supporters highlighted that online versions of casino games might provide assistance to casinos during shutdowns.

Meanwhile, critics leveraged the video gaming terminal (VGT) industry as an argument against online casinos. Some expressed concerns that the legalization of online casinos could potentially obliterate the VGT industry.

The House’s decision to pass any gaming-related policy during its May discussion on online casino policy remains uncertain.

Given the lack of poker rooms in Illinois, this would be significant for poker enthusiasts in the Land of Lincoln.

How some games are there in Illinois?

Illinois casinos reopened at full capacity in June for the first time in over a year.

In Illinois, there are a total of 10 games. These are:

• Alton’s Argosy Casino
• Queen Casino at DraftKings
• Elgin Grand Victoria Casino
• Joliet Harrah & rsquo
• Metropolis Harrah’s
• Aurora Hollywood Casino
• Hollywood Casino in Joliet
• Jumer’s Hotel, Casino &
• Game line a dice
• Casino Rivers

Additionally, six more casino licenses, including the future Chicago casino, are available. As we gather more information, we will monitor if the new casinos intend to include poker rooms.