Last summer, DraftKings announced its partnership with Casino Queen in East St Louis and, together, they saw tremendous success in Illinois’ sportsbetting market. Now, the two brands will be expanding their land-based sportsbook with a $10 million renovation.
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A Very Successful Entry So Far
It was in 2020 that DraftKings entered Illinois’ sportbetting market by teaming up with Casino Queen. Since the pair teamed up, DraftKings has handled more than $1.25 billion in online wagers, demonstrating that there is a big demand for betting services across the state.
During the first quarter of 2021, DraftKings processed $644.2 million in wagers from Illinois residents. The brand has captured about a third of the state’s market share since launching in August 2020, and its newly expanded sportsbook is sure to attract even more attention to the brand from local bettors.
What Will the Expansion Entail?
As part of the expansion, DraftKings at Casino Queen will be seeing plenty of new additions. The new and improved Draft Kings sportsbook will be located near the casino floor, where Casino Queen currently has over 1,000 slot machines and 30 table games.
In the sportsbook, punters will find state-of-the-art betting technology, along with ‘oversized’ HD televisions where they watch along as they wager. There will also be three new fast food outlets and a full-service restaurant.
“The marriage of two iconic brands promises to create an unforgettable experience that can only be found at DraftKings at Casino Queen. Fans will come to love the service, passion and innovation now available in our state,” – Terry Downey, President of DraftKings at Casino Queen.
Land-Based Sportsbooks in Illinois
Currently, there are a few other places where punters can make wagers in person across the state of Illinois:
- Barstool Sportsbook at Arcosy Casino Alton
- Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Aurora
- Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Joilet
- BetRivers at Rivers Casino
- FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing at Fairmount Park
- FanDuel Sportsbook at Par-A-Dice Casino
- FanDuel Sportsbook at Diamond Jo Casino
The only other land-based venue that is within a reasonable distance of East St Louis is FanDuel’s Fairmount Park location. So, the newly expanded DraftKings at Casino Queen sportsbook will provide nearby sports fans with more choice.
The $10 million expansion is expected to take six months to complete. So, punters will be able to enjoy the new location by December of this year.
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Bethany has been working in online gambling for over 13 years. She got her start in the industry as her first job after graduating from the Professional Writing Program at York University. Having written for many online gaming publications and worked with top casino operators, she has unique insight into the gambling market. Bethany maintains a personal interest in iGaming as she continues to play poker online as a hobby.