We Found Out Which Illinois Casino is the Most Luxurious

Ahh, Illinois. Home of the world’s first McDonald’s, Abraham Lincoln’s tomb, and that bean sculpture that people always post pictures of on Facebook. But fear not, my fellow gamblers—the state is also home to 15 casino destinations! But every time I come across a state with plenty of casinos, I find myself wondering if any of them actually offer a luxurious experience, so I decided to find out.

Prior to that, let's examine the state's gambling history. Gambling has been popular since way back in 1920, when betting on horse racing was made legal. Illinois was the first state to allow a state-wide lottery in 1974, and the first riverboat casino opened up in 1990. Nowadays, slots are not found only in the 15 casinos located across the state but also in restaurants, bars, and even truck stops. The gambling industry supports over 28,000 jobs in the state, and the gross gaming revenue was $5.52 billion in 2023. 

You might be wondering exactly how the Casinos.com team figured out exactly which Illinois casinos are the most luxurious. Since we couldn't visit them all, we turned to the internet's good people. We scoured Tripadvisor reviews and looked for mentions of words like "luxury," "extravagant," and "comfort," and based on that, we could rank the casinos. 

Here are the ones we investigated:

Topping the list, Bally's Quad Cities Casino & Hotel, which was called Jumer's Casino Rock Island until 2021, received a Luxury Rating of 9.87%. A massive 167 people called it "comfortable," while two even mentioned the word "fancy." One reviewer said, “They are in the midst of updating all the rooms and hallways and it is very attractive. Beds are very comfortable and the towels are the best." 

That sounds promising, and renovated rooms could make this one even more luxurious in the future.

Next up, DraftKings at Casino Queen wasn’t too far behind, with 9.02%. With only 122 reviews, we were impressed that one person used "extravagant.”

One review really praised a staff member, saying, “To be greeted by such a warm smile and personality makes me want to return. The rooms are nice too, but the service he provides is superb." We’re always thrilled to see praise like this, as excellent staff really help to boost a casino’s air of luxury.

Coming in at third place, FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing got 8.25%. Located in Collinsville, it’s definitely more of a racetrack than a casino, but it has positive reviews nonetheless. Reviewers seem to be satisfied with the overall experience, with one saying, “Had lived in this area for 25 years but had never visited here. I was invited to go with my sister. We had the best time! So much excitement and the atmosphere is contagious! A great time for little $! Food is fantastic as well.”

On the other end of the scale, the not-so-coveted title of “Least Luxurious Casino in Illinois” went to Argosy Casino Alton, which scored just 2.94%, with only five out of 170 reviews mentioning one of our keywords. While the neon lights and boat theme definitely look impressive from the outside, reviewers didn’t exactly agree. 

One complained, “Don't waste your money at the Alton Casino. The parking lot and casino are dirty, and there is NO security in the parking lot”. I also saw a comment wishing literally death upon one of the dealers.

Second from the bottom, we have Rivers Casino Des Plaines, which got 3.13%, with absolutely no mentions of the word "luxurious." Reviews mentioned a lack of free drinks and a long walk from the car park. And I don’t know about you, but neither of those things screams luxury to me. As one unhappy person put it, “One bad apple can ruin a whole basket of apples"—I actually think that’s quite profound.

Methodology 

Casinos.com utilized Tripadvisor reviews to do an in-depth analysis of phrases associated with luxury to determine the most luxurious casinos in the state of Illinois. We calculated the percentage of luxury-rated mentions in the total Tripadvisor reviews.

This data was collected in September 2024. 

Keywords tracked: luxury, luxurious, magnificent, delightful, comfort, comfortable, impressive, pleasure, indulge, extravagant, fancy, exclusive, satisfied

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Disclaimer 

The data in this article is intended for entertainment purposes only. Casinos.com does not claim any one casino to be “more luxurious” than another. Please don’t use the information presented in this article as gambling or betting advice, and as always, please bet responsibly.