Introduction to Illinois Slots Return-To-Player
A big concern for slots enthusiasts is if casinos are trying to “get back their lost gaming revenue” by reducing their return-to-player (RTP). But is that true, state-by-state? Let’s look closely at the Illinois Slots Return-To-Player for Video Gaming Terminals (VGT) in Illinois bars and taverns.
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Illinois Slots Gaming Industry: An Overview
Illinois slot machine casino gambling consists of ten riverboat casinos, one casino resort, and one proposed commercial casino as well as video gaming terminals in small businesses approved by their local municipalities.
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The Illinois Riverboat Gambling Act enacted in February 1990 legalized riverboat gambling on open water outside of Cook County. This restriction protected wagering on horse racing in the Chicago area, approved in 1927.
Since 1990, Illinois has offered only ten gaming licenses for riverboat casinos. Originally, riverboat casinos in Illinois had to cruise, but a new state law in 1999 allowed permanent docking and authorized them to have 1,200 gaming machines including positions available at table games.
In 2005, the Illinois state legislature established an admissions tax of $2 or $3. Admission is $2 at Jumer’s Casino Rock Island and $3 at other riverboat casinos. Illinois riverboat casinos also has restricted hours of operation, closing for two hours each day, usually around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
In 2009, the Illinois state legislature passed the Video Gaming Act, allowing video gaming terminals in “Licensed Retail Establishments, Truck Stops, Veteran and Fraternal Establishments” with approval by their local municipalities. There are well over seven thousand such licensed establishments with a total of nearly 42,000 VGTs.
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On June 28, 2019, Governor Pritzker signed the Illinois Gambling Act into law, making significant changes to gaming regulations in Illinois. These changes included two casinos, the Hard Rock Casino Rockford and Southland Live Casino in Calumet City.
The Illinois Gaming Board hosts a website with extensive and thoroughly detailed descriptions of its state gambling laws for Casino Gambling and Video Gaming.
Illinois Return Statistics for Slots
The Illinois Gaming Board provides gaming regulations and tax collection for slot machine gambling activities in Illinois. It also has gaming control commissions for other forms of gambling including the Illinois Lottery and the Illinois Racing Board.
Illinois has established theoretical payout limits of 80% and 100% over the lifetime of a slot machine.
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Illinois has 41,000+ VGT electronic gaming machines at 7,000+ local businesses such as bars, restaurants, and other licensed non-casino locations.
Monthly Player Win Percentages
The Illinois Gaming Board provides monthly return statistics for Video Gaming. Use the Video Gaming Review Reports search tool under Monthly Reports to find the player win percentage (i.e., amount won divided by amount played) for a specific licensed retailer offering video gaming.
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The return statistics for VGTs at bars and taverns are available monthly from when they obtained their gaming license, some going as far back as 2012. No return statistics are available for Illinois casinos.
In April 2022, the statewide average player win percentage was 91.5% for all VGTs at retailers, the lowest report win% every for Illinois.
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Illinois RTP is at an all-time low spanning the last decade.
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Summary of Illinois Slots Return-To-Player
Illinois state lottery carefully manages the player win percentage at bars, taverns, and other businesses having a few licensed video gaming terminals. Player win% is at an all-time low.