Peoria and East Peoria Settle Par-A-Dice Casino Relocation Dispute
Posted on: February 1, 2026, 10:52h.
Last updated on: February 1, 2026, 10:52h.
- The City of Peoria is folding on its challenge to a new casino in East Peoria
- Peoria city officials are withdrawing their effort to halt Boyd Gaming’s Par-A-Dice plan
The cities of Peoria and East Peoria in Illinois are set to settle their dispute over a new Par-A-Dice casino and resort on the Illinois River.
On Monday, a special Peoria City Council meeting is expected to approve an agreement to resolve the city’s objections to Boyd Gaming building a new casino in East Peoria.
An intercity agreement executed in 1991 between Peoria and East Peoria said all riverboat gaming would occur on the river’s eastern bank within the City of East Peoria. If a land-based casino structure were to operate within the cities, the brick-and-mortar venue would need to be constructed in Peoria.
Boyd Gaming has proposed a $160 million “modernized riverboat” in East Peoria. To appease the water requirement, Boyd’s plan includes a 1,000-gallon water basin fed by the Illinois River underneath the forthcoming gaming floor that amounts to roughly the size of a residential propane or water tank.
Litigation Avoided
Tomorrow night, Peoria city officials are expected to withdraw their challenge of whether the tidal basin satisfies the legal definition of riverboat gaming, as defined by the Illinois Riverboat Gambling Act. While both cities have always shared the 5% local gaming tax that the Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino generates, only East Peoria benefits from the resort’s property, sales, food and beverage, and amusement taxes.
The Parties have come to an understanding and desire to avoid the risk and expense of costly litigation now or in the future in regard to the Redevelopment Plan,” Peoria City Council documents for the special meeting reveal.
“Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, the City will receive a percentage of reported adjusted gross gaming revenues generated at the redeveloped gaming facility once the facility is open to the public. The City advanced claims for non-gaming revenues, such as property taxes, sales taxes, hotel, restaurant, and amusement taxes that may have been generated had the new gaming facility been located in Peoria. The City has withdrawn its objections to the Redevelopment Plan and the design for the facility therein, has agreed to support the Redevelopment Plan, and no longer contests the approval of the Redevelopment Plan by the Illinois Gaming Board,” the documents continue.
The vote, while expected to pass, might not be unanimous, as certain councilors have taken issue with Boyd’s plan to satisfy the water requirement. At-Large Councilor Zachary Oyler called the design “incredibly disingenuous.”
The Riverboat Gambling Act doesn’t specify an amount of water needed for a riverboat casino to touch or sit above.
Boyd Casino
Boyd’s renovation of Par-A-Dice includes a 29K-square-foot casino that’s land-based, aside from the tidal basin. The structure is to be built against the current Par-A-Dice Hotel’s south side, which is currently a parking lot.
Over 20K square feet of meeting space, an upscale steakhouse, a beer pub, and a porte-cochere are among the other project details.
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