Casino Queen In Illinois
| Casino Queen | |
|---|---|
| Location | East St. Louis, Illinois |
| Address | 2000 S Front St |
| Opening date | June 23, 1993 |
| Total gaming space | 38,000 sq ft (3,500 m2) |
| Casino type | Riverboat |
| Owner | Gaming and Leisure Properties |
| Operating license holder | Employee-owned management company |
| Coordinates | 38°37′33″N90°10′34″W / 38.62583°N 90.17611°W |
| Website | CasinoQueen.com |
The address for Casino Queen Hotel is 200 South Front Street, East St. Louis, Illinois 62201 What is the price for tonight? Based on recent averages, the price for tonight can start at 149. Where Loose Means Rewards. Get your FREE Queen’s Club card! Louis Marquette. The Casino Queen Board of Directors has named a new president about a week after the casino’s former president announced he was retiring to become a judge in the Illinois 20th Judicial Circuit. DraftKings is headed to Illinois.The sports gaming giant has struck a partnership with the Casino Queen property in East St. Louis, according to a June SEC filing.We don’t know when it will launch yet, but DraftKings figures to be a major player in the Illinois sports betting market. A new partnership will help one Illinois casino expand its reach. On July 23, Casino Queen announced the company will rebrand as part of a deal with DraftKings.In many ways, the deal mirrors one signed earlier this year between Penn National and Barstool Sports, with one key exception.
The Casino Queen is a riverboat casino located near the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois, just across the river from downtown St. Louis. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by an employee-owned management company.
History[edit]
Illinois enacted a riverboat casino law in 1990 authorizing licenses for ten casinos to open around the state.[1] One of the licenses was guaranteed to East St. Louis, in an effort to help the financially troubled city.[2][3] The group that would ultimately open the Casino Queen, led by real estate developer Bill Koman, submitted its proposal to the Illinois Gaming Board in January 1992.[4] With no other proposals before the board, Koman's group was awarded the license in May 1992.[5]
The Casino Queen opened on June 23, 1993.[6] It was viewed positively by most city officials and residents, as the struggling city desperately needed both a revenue source and employment opportunities for its residents.[7] Casino Queen originally operated on a boat called the White Star One.
Construction of a hotel began in 1998.[8] The 157-room hotel, built at a cost of $15 million, opened in January 2000.[9]
Changed regulations led to the casino to be moved inland, but still built above a shallow pit of water, in 2007. The move also allowed the casino to add 10,000 additional square feet of gaming space. In 2014, the White Star One was auctioned off and sold for $600,000.[10] Casino Queen has generated over $160 million for the city of East St. Louis between 1993 and 2009.[11]
In 2012, Koman and his partners sold the Casino Queen for $170 million to a newly formed Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which would steer the casino's profits into the retirement accounts of participating employees.[12] In 2014, to pay down debt taken on to finance the purchase, the ESOP sold the real estate of the Casino Queen to Gaming and Leisure Properties for $140 million, leasing it back for $14 million per year.[13][14]
In 2020, the casino struck a deal with sports betting provider DraftKings to rebrand the property as DraftKings at Casino Queen.[15] As part of the rebranding, Sevens sports bar will be gutted and re-built as a full sportsbook, and the casino will be integrated into DraftKings' mobile betting app.[15]
Property information[edit]
The casino includes both 1,100 slots and 34 table games in its 38,000 square feet of gaming space.[16] Per Illinois law and unlike neighboring Missouri casinos, it is not open 24 hours a day.[17]
Dining options include: the Market Street Buffet, Prime Steakhouse, Sevens, and Deli & Chips.
Both a hotel and an RV Park are located on the Casino Queen property.
References[edit]
- ^Robert Kelly (February 8, 1990). 'Dice to be rollin' on the river'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Kathleen Best (September 11, 1990). 'East side casino assured: E. St. Louis wins right to riverboat'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Lynn Sweet (July 3, 1990). '10 vie for 5 riverboat gambling licenses'. Chicago Sun-Times – via NewsBank.
- ^'William Koman seeks license for casino boat in E. St. Louis'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 3, 1992 – via NewsBank.
- ^Patrick E. Gauen (May 15, 1992). 'Illinois backs casino at E. St. Louis site'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Margaret Gillerman (June 24, 1993). 'Casino Queen, a city's dreamboat, sails at last'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Brett Pulley (21 July 1998). 'Casino Changes the Fortune Of a Hard-Luck Illinois City'. The New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^'Mayor says hotel signals renewal of East St. Louis'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 18, 1998 – via NewsBank.
- ^Denise Hollinshed (January 4, 2000). 'New hotel at Casino Queen opens for business with views of St. Louis skyline'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via NewsBank.
- ^Robert Patrick (4 April 2014). 'Old Casino Queen yields $600,000 at auction'. St Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^'Gambling on the future of East St Louis'. Lindenwood University. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^Tim Logan (December 28, 2012). 'Employee-owners hope to reverse Casino Queen's fortunes'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- ^Lisa Brown (December 10, 2013). 'REIT buying Casino Queen real estate for $140 million'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
- ^'Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. closes acquisition of the real estate assets related to the Casino Queen in East St. Louis for $140 million' (Press release). Gaming and Leisure Properties. January 23, 2014. Retrieved 2020-07-26 – via GlobeNewswire.
- ^ ab'In deal with sports wagering firm, Casino Queen rebrands as DraftKings at Casino Queen'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 24, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- ^'Casino Queen'. Clayco. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- ^'IL Says Casino Queen Can't Stay Open 24 Hours'. St Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Casino games at DraftKings at Casino Queen
DraftKings at Casino Queen is one of the most reputable gambling establishments in all of Illinois.
There are 985 slot machines and 40 table games with a variety of betting levels. By changing from a riverboat casino to a land-based location in 2006, DraftKings at Casino Queen gained over 10,000 square feet of space, which also helped increase its popularity.
Casino Queen In Illinois Real Estate
The gaming choice includes everything from penny slots to a private high-limit room where you can play slots with minimum bets of $5 and enjoy high-limit blackjack games. Professional and courteous dealers will help you have the best experience playing blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and poker.
You can even reserve a table game for your special event free of charge. Unfortunately, there isn’t a dedicated poker room, but you can still partake in high-quality poker games against dealers.
However, with the introduction of DraftKings Sportsbook, DraftKings at Casino Queen customers have access to premier betting options, including the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB.
To get the necessary respite from the action, you can visit the seven-story hotel on the premises, featuring more than 150 rooms and suites. The establishment offers a series of promotions to regular players, such as the RoyaltyReward four-tier program with many benefits.
Slot machines
There are hundreds of slot machines at DraftKings at Casino Queen.
In fact, there are 985 pennyslots, progressive jackpot slots and many famed one-armed bandits. The most popular slots include Wonder 4, LightningLink, WildPanda, Wheel of Fortune, BuffaloGrand.
The slot machines at DraftKings at Casino Queen have been declared the “Loosest Slots in the Country” for six consecutive years by Casino Player Magazine, noting the 95.13%RTP on these games.
The slots’ denominations range from 5 cents to $5, where the latter is mostly reserved for the private high-limit area to accommodate high-rollers.
Table games
DraftKings at Casino Queen features 40 different table games, featuring the best blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker action.
There is even a special High-Limit Blackjack Room, where betting limits requirements are only for those with deeper pockets. You can find more exotic table games, such as the 21+3, a blackjack variation with poker-style additional bets.
The full list of available table casino games is as follows:
- Blackjack
- Craps
- EZ Baccarat
- Roulette
- Three Card Poker
- Three Card Poker with Six Card Bonus
- Ultimate Texas Hold’Em
Royalty Rewards program
All visitors of DraftKings at Casino Queen can become members of the Royalty Rewards program.
As a Royalty Rewards club member, each time you wager on slots, video poker machines and table games, you generate loyalty points you can trade for free slot play, dining and hotel discounts, freetickets for popular events, casino host access, VIP parking area, VIP lounge access and more.
The more points you accumulate, the faster you climb the four tiers, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond and Crown, and earn better rewards and benefits. Every dollar you wager on slot machines generates one comp point/tier credit.
On the other hand, to get one comp point/tier credit from playing on video poker machines, you need to bet at least $3. As for the table games, the number of comp points/tier credit depends on the amount of time playing, the average bet size and game type.
DraftKings at Casino Queen Sportsbook
Following the legalization of sports betting in Illinois, one of the most significant moves was made famous by the online sportsbook DraftKings and Casino Queen.
Namely, the owners of Casino Queen signed a deal that rebranded the casino to DraftKings at Casino Queen, and one of the first sportsbooks to become available to bettors in the East St. Louis region.
The financial side of the deal was not disclosed, but the positive economic reverberations will surely be felt in the years to come.
DraftKings runs a physical sportsbook at the casino where you can place live bets, prematch wagers and proposition bets on markets, such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and other professional and collegiate athletic contests and teams.
What’s more, DraftKings launched a sportsbook app in August 2020, which all bettors can use on their desktop, Android and Apple devices to enjoy the best online sports wagering experience.
Upon the release of the online DraftKings Sportsbook app, players were allowed to complete their registration online, which was an exception created by the coronavirus pandemic. Originally, gambling law of Illinois says all online players must physically go to the DraftKings at Casino Queen to complete their registration. However, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order allowing players to do so online, thus preventing the possible further spread of coronavirus.
It is unknown if this practice will continue, but the important thing is that players can enjoy the best of both worlds at DraftKings at Casino Queen, as well as lucrative welcome bonuses and other perks.
DraftKings at Casino Queen poker room
The downside to DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis is there isn’t a dedicated poker room.
However, the casino offers a couple of poker games against the dealer rather than other players, such as the three-card poker with six-card bonus, three-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
DraftKings at Casino Queen amenities
Hotel and RV park at DraftKings at Casino Queen
If you crave a spectacular view of the Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis, DraftKings at Casino Queen welcomes you to its 157 rooms across seven floors.
A wide array of the king and queen-sized rooms, ADA rooms, double queen rooms and sparooms with king-sized beds. The rooms include amenities such as free internet access, oversized desks, laundry valet services, blow dryers and coffee makers.
On the other hand, there is also a specially designed RV park for Class A, B and C campers, fifth wheels and travel trailers. It is equipped with full hookups that include internet, bathhouses and laundry facilities.
Dining
You can explore several dining options during your stay at DraftKings at Casino Queen that are bound to turn you into a proper gourmet:
- Market Street Buffet allows you to indulge in a wide selection of dishes from different cultures worldwide at a buffet price.
- Prime Steakhouse is your go-to place for great daily lunch and dinner dining options and late-night cocktails.
- SEVENS offers mouthwatering appetizers, sandwiches and entrees that will satisfy even the finickiest of foodies.
- Deli & Chips is a great choice if you are up for a quick bite and cold refreshments.
All Illinois Casinos and Sportsbooks
Casino Queen Draftkings
DraftKings at Casino Queen history
DraftKings at Casino Queen started its gambling journey in 1993 as a riverboat casino called Casino Queen. However, in 2020, Gaming and Leisure Properties — a Pennsylvania National Gaming’s real estate investment trust — signed a deal with the famous sportsbook operator DraftKings to rebrand Casino Queen to DraftKings at Casino Queen. The move saw the birth of a full-fledged sportsbook at the casino floor that brings premium betting options and numerous other features.
The casino that we now know as DraftKings at Casino Queen has had a long history that shaped the very outlook of the gambling scene of Illinois. The casino first opened in 1993 as a riverboat casino developed by real-estate mogul Bill Koman. In the beginning, the casino had been placed on a boat called the White Star One, but it moved to a land-based building in 2006, which resulted in extra gaming space.
In 2012, the casino was sold to the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which made it the first casino in the US that was owned by employees. In 2014, the casino was sold to Gaming and Leisure Properties that immediately leased it back to the ESOP.
In 2020, Casino Queen worked out a deal with the leading online sportsbook DraftKings to rebrand the casino to DraftKings at Casino Queen and introduce the sportsbook.