Rivers Casino Outside Chicago Unveils BetRivers SportsBar In Anticipation Of Legal Betting

Looking to be a sports betting destination when it becomes available in Illinois, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines opened BetRivers SportsBar.
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Chris Altruda was a sportswriter with ESPN, The Associated Press, and STATS for more than two decades before joining Better Collective in 2019. When not crunching iGaming and casino revenue figures, he is usually listening to Iron Maiden or exploring Chicago neighborhoods. His Twitter handle is @AlTruda73 and can be reached via email at [email protected]

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Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Ill., is putting its best foot forward for sports betting becoming available in Illinois with its opening of the BetRivers SportsBar.

The SportsBar opened Friday, though it cannot take any wagers until Rush Street Gaming’s application is approved by the Illinois Gaming Board. The state agency is in line to take a major step toward that end Thursday when license applications for sports betting are expected to be available at its next meeting.

“We’re proud to open the ultimate game-day destination for sports fans who want to have an elevated viewing experience at a world-class gaming destination,” Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin said. “The BetRivers SportsBar will be one of the most exciting locations to watch live sports anywhere in Chicago, while we wait for approval to offer legal sports wagering.”

Nearly 5,000 square feet of sports bar

While Rivers Casino did not make the number of betting windows and automated kiosks available pending license approval, a walk around the 4,840-square foot area — which was formerly the Cube Night Club — showed a space that appeared to have five betting windows. There are no photos available since IGB rules prevent photographs of such areas being taken until licenses are approved.

The biggest feature of the BetRivers SportsBar is the 47-foot-wide ultra HD LED video wall that features a sports score crawl. There are ten 86-inch and four 75-inch HD television screens situated throughout the lounge for live sports viewing, as well as a 32-seat, full-service island bar. Another 32 leather lounge chairs and further table seating options are within the SportsBar area, along with 26 bar-top video poker games.

The opening of the SportsBar also allowed BetRivers to begin allocating the additional 800 gaming positions reserved from the IGB as part of Illinois’ recently enacted casino expansion law. The expansion near the SportsBar area included 115 electronic gaming devices and eight table games, as well as a second, smaller sports crawl that can be viewed from the gaming area.

The BetRivers SportsBar was designed by Chicago-based DMAC Architecture, which also worked on Rivers’ properties in the state of New York as well as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Rivers Casino, which offers complimentary shuttle service from the Rosemont stop on the CTA’s Blue Line, is located less than five miles from O’Hare Airport and just outside downtown Chicago.

“Through this expansion, we’ve brought some of the newest and most desired games to our expanded gaming floor, enhanced the customer experience throughout the facility, and created a new state-of-the-art sports bar,” Carlin said. “The best is yet to come, and we are committed to remain one of the most unique regional gaming destinations in the country.”

Image by Shutterstock.com

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