The Illinois Gaming Board will conduct a special meeting on October 29, 2020 at 10 AM.

The regular November Board meeting scheduled for November 5, 2020 has been rescheduled and will now take place on November 17, 2020 at 10 AM. The Board will not meet on November 5.

The October 29 and November 17 Board meetings will be live streamed through the IGB website.

Region 1 (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago Counties), Region 5 (Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne, White, and Williamson county), Region 7 (Will and Kankakee counties) and Region 8 (Kane and DuPage counties) have exceeded IDPH criteria that trigger additional mitigations to combat a resurgence of COVID-19 and prevent uncontrollable spread. As detailed in the July 15 Restore Illinois resurgence plan, new mitigations will be applied if a region's positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8% for three consecutive days, as it has in Region 1, Region 5, Region 7, and Region 8.

Beginning October 3, 2020, food and beverage service in video gaming locations in Region 1 (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago Counties) is suspended. Outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Current mitigation measures will remain in effect, so that all video gaming operations at all licensed video gaming locations in Region 1 will be limited to the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily - with no exceptions. Masks must be worn at all times inside the video gaming area. Congregating around video gaming terminals is prohibited and there is a one person per video gaming terminal limitation. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Terminal Operator Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Beginning October 22, 2020, food and beverage service in video gaming locations in Region 5 (Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne, White, and Williamson county) is suspended. Outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Current mitigation measures will remain in effect, so that all video gaming operations at all licensed video gaming locations in Region 5 will be limited to the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily - with no exceptions. Masks must be worn at all times inside the video gaming area. Congregating around video gaming terminals is prohibited and there is a one person per video gaming terminal limitation. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Terminal Operator Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Beginning on October 22, 2020, all licensed gambling operations at the Harrah's Metropolis Casino and Hotel will be restricted to within the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily, and casino occupancy will be reduced during the mitigation period from 50% of fire code capacity to 25% of fire code capacity. Food and beverage service is suspended inside casinos, while outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Masks must be worn at all times inside the casino. Congregating around table games, carnival games and EGDs is prohibited. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Casino Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Beginning October 23, 2020, food and beverage service in video gaming locations in Region 7 (Will and Kankakee counties) is suspended. Outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Current mitigation measures will remain in effect, so that all video gaming operations at all licensed video gaming locations in Region 7 will be limited to the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily - with no exceptions. Masks must be worn at all times inside the video gaming area. Congregating around video gaming terminals is prohibited and there is a one person per video gaming terminal limitation. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Terminal Operator Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Beginning on October 23, 2020, all licensed gambling operations at the Hollywood Casino Joliet and Harrah's Casino Joliet will be restricted to within the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily, and casino occupancy will be reduced during the mitigation period from 50% of fire code capacity to 25% of fire code capacity. Food and beverage service is suspended inside casinos, while outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Masks must be worn at all times inside the casino. Congregating around table games, carnival games and EGDs is prohibited. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Casino Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Beginning October 23, 2020, food and beverage service in video gaming locations in Region 8 (Kane and DuPage Counties) is suspended. Outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Current mitigation measures will remain in effect, so that all video gaming operations at all licensed video gaming locations in Region 8 will be limited to the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily - with no exceptions. Masks must be worn at all times inside the video gaming area. Congregating around video gaming terminals is prohibited and there is a one person per video gaming terminal limitation. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Terminal Operator Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Beginning on October 23, 2020, all licensed gambling operations at the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin and Hollywood Casino Aurora will be restricted to within the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily, and casino occupancy will be reduced during the mitigation period from 50% of fire code capacity to 25% of fire code capacity. Food and beverage service is suspended inside casinos, while outdoor service, curbside and carryout is permitted. Masks must be worn at all times inside the casino. Congregating around table games, carnival games and EGDs is prohibited. Existing social distancing, sanitizing and other mitigation protocols and measures in approved Casino Pandemic Resumption Plans remain in effect.

Failure to comply with these mitigation efforts could subject licensees to discipline, up to and including license revocation.

IDPH will continue to track the positivity rate in Region 1, Region 5, Region 7, and Region 8 over a 14-day monitoring period to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigation should remain in place. If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5 percent over a 14-day period, the region may return to the original Phase 4 guidance or a modified version as appropriate. If the positivity rate averages between 6.5 percent and 8 percent, the new mitigations will remain in place. If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent after 14 days, more stringent mitigations will be applied to further reduce spread of the virus, which can include the closure of bars and dining.

For more information please see the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website.