Illinois gaming regulators approve Danville casino plan

DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) — State regulators have approved a plan for construction of a new casino in Danville.

The Illinois Gaming Board voted unanimously Thursday to OK plans for the Golden Nugget Danville Casino. The planned 41,500-square-foot gaming floor is expected to have 500 slot machines, 14 table games, two restaurants and a sports book, the News-Gazette reported.^[1]

Danville is the latest community to get a green light for new gaming under a 2019 law that expanded gambling in Illinois. That measure, signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, approved six new casinos in Illinois.

Proposals already have been approved in four other locations. They are Rockford, Waukegan, Williamson County in southern Illinois, and at a site on the border of Homewood and East Hazel Crest, south of Chicago. The Hard Rock casino in Rockford is the only place currently taking bets.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is considering proposals for a casino in the city. She's expected to select a finalist to go before the gaming board, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.^[2]

Danville is a community of about 30,000 people located about 150 miles (241 kilometers) south of Chicago, just west of Illinois' border with Indiana.

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