Sports betting giant DraftKings didn’t settle with operating just the sportsbook at the Casino Queen riverboat casino in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The company struck a deal to rebrand the whole property.
On Thursday, Boston-based DraftKings and the casino operators announced the property across from populous St. Louis along the Mississippi River will be renamed DraftKings at Casino Queen. In addition to opening a retail sport betting location at the casino and provide mobile sports betting, the facility will take on the DraftKings’ persona.
The deal, which marks the first casino in the U.S. to carry the DraftKings’ name, is still subject to approvals by Illinois regulators. It marks
For DraftKings, which provides mobile and retail sports betting for casino operators in nine states, the location in Illinois could attract bettors from across the river in Missouri, where sports wagering has still not been legalized.
“Through this collaboration, we have the opportunity to change how fans engage with the sports they love, while becoming a part of the fabric of Illinois’ rich sports culture,” Ezra Kucharz, DraftKings chief business officer, said of launching sports wagering in a 10th state.
Casino Queen, one of 10 Illinois riverboat casinos, is owned by real estate investment trust Gaming and Leisure Properties with the operations owned by its casino employees.
The facility has a 38,000-square-foot casino boat with four restaurants, a small waterfront hotel, and an RV Park located on the site. The property offers views of the St. Louis skyline and the Arch across the Mississippi River.
“Casino Queen is thrilled to welcome DraftKings to Illinois, the St. Louis area, and our family,” Terry Downey, president DraftKings at Casino Queen, said in a statement. “We believe this collaboration will enhance the Casino Queen iconic brand while introducing the sports betting industry leader to our state.”
DraftKings is not expected to make any changes in the property’s operations.
Casinos in Illinois reopened July 1 after the state was the first in the nation to halt gaming on March 15 in an effort to slow the spreading coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, gaming, sales, income and other taxes generated by Casino Queen accounted for $6 million of the city of East St. Louis’s $18 million general fund budget. The city received about half its normal gaming revenues in April and none in May.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
