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 JuneSEC filing. We don’t know when it will launch yet, but DraftKings figures to be a major player in the Illinois sports betting market.

“We look forward to working with both the Illinois Gaming Board and Casino Queen to bring our legal sports betting product to Illinois,” DraftKings confirmed in a statement.

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.

The market access deal is between 5-10years long, per the SEC filing. And thanks to Illinois Gov.JB Pritzker’s executive order allowing customers to sign up from home, DraftKings has a major incentive to launch its product as soon as possible.

Casino Queen, along with six other Illinois casinos, is approved for a four-year sports betting master license. Here are the others:

• Argosy Casino Alton
• Grand Victoria Casino
• Hollywood Casino Aurora
• Hollywood Casino Joliet
• Rivers Casino Des Plaines
• Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino

Avoiding “the penalty box”

The partnership allows DraftKings to work around an Illinois gambling law designed to give brick-and-mortar casinos a head start. Had it only applied for an online license (which costs $20 million), DraftKings would have had to wait 18 months for approval. The law appears to be targeted at DraftKings and FanDuel, and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins aired his grievances about the matter on Twitter last June:

While it is good to see sports betting bills passed, excluding DraftKings and FanDuel is like passing a ride sharing bill that excludes Uber and Lyft. Very disappointing that Illinois customers will not have the best options available to them for 18 months.

— Jason Robins (@JasonDRobins) June 2, 2019

The workaround allows DraftKings to enter the Illinois market earlier, but it will have to pay an undisclosed percentage of net revenue to Casino Queen. Branding rules also state that Casino Queen will need to be featured on DraftKings’ site and app. So, we are likely to see something to the effect of “DraftKings Casino Queen Sportsbook” or “Casino Queen Sportsbook powered by DraftKings.”

Illinois competitors

As of now, BetRivers is the only online betting platform live in Illinois. BetMGM could also be coming up soon. While FanDuel has yet to strike an Illinois access deal, it seems likely that it will at some point. That said, DraftKings appears to be on track to beat FanDuel to market in Illinois, a big win for the former.

DraftKings is currently accepting bets in seven states. Illinois is the sixth-most populous state in the US, just a hair behind Pennsylvania, and the third-most populous state to legalize sports betting. So it’s a coveted market among the key players.

Research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming projects that Illinois could eventually rake in $1 billion in annual sports betting revenue.

DraftKings “is going through the regulatory testing process over the next couple of weeks and hopes to launch online shortly after,” according to our sister site Legal Sports Report.

It would be in DraftKings’ best interest to launch as soon as possible in Illinois with the scheduled return of MLB, the NBA, and the NHL (among others) in late July. It may be in Illinois bettors’ best interest to register from home as soon as possible, as we don’t know how long Pritzker’s remote sign-up rules will remain in effect.

DraftKings’ stock price has spiked since going public, despite the lack of sports. It will be fascinating to see where it goes if the leagues return as planned, and what kind of market share it carves out in Illinois.

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.

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

Casino Queen Illinois Phone Number

You can explore several dining options during your stay at DraftKings at Casino Queen that are bound to turn you into a proper gourmet:

Casino Queen In Illinois

• 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

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.

Casino Queen Open Or Closed

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.