The Par-A-Dice Casino is a major attraction for the Peoria area, generating millions of dollars annually.
Boyd Gaming plans to build a new facility to replace the Par-A-Dice Riverboat but has not stated if that new casino will be a land-based venture or if it will be built in East Peoria or Peoria.
The next location for the casino, wherever that may be, will be another significant moment in the saga of legalized gambling in the Peoria area. Following is a timeline of the boat’s history, from the legalization of gambling in Illinois to the modern-day feud over the casino.
1989: Discussion of legalizing gambling begins in Illinois
In early 1989, state lawmakers in Springfield discussed the idea to legalize riverboat gambling in Illinois. The concept had one clear goal: raise millions of dollars in tax revenue.
1989: Peoria’s elected officials, developers start riverboat talks
Before gambling was even legal in Illinois, members of the City Council and local developers began showing their interest in bringing casino gambling to Peoria.
Then-Mayor Jim Maloof, however, feared a casino would hurt Peoria’s reputation, resurfacing its perception as a whiskey and crime town. He said, “We’ve got a great new reputation in this town. … Is it worth it? So far, no one yet has been able to convince me.”
In a strong rebuke of riverboat gambling, the Peoria County Board voted 16-9 that same year to recommend a riverboat not come to Peoria.
1990: Battle for the boat begins
As a riverboat gambling bill in Springfield began to pick up steam in January 1990, the Peoria City Council changed course, throwing its support behind the idea of bringing a casino to Peoria.
The City Council approved a plan by developer James Jumer that would have him spend $4.5 million to bring a riverboat to the Peoria Boat Works in Downtown Peoria. Mayor Maloof was one of two Peoria councilmembers who voted against the proposal. He called gambling a “cardinal sin.”
At the same time, developers and politicians in East Peoria began their push for a boat to land on their side of the Illinois River. East Peoria Mayor Dick Dodson supported the idea.
1990: ‘David vs. Goliath’ battle is set up between Peoria, East Peoria
The race to secure a casino gambling boat for their respective cities set up a who’s who matchup between influential stakeholders in Peoria and East Peoria.
Developer James Jumer, with the backing of the Peoria City Council, was at the head of the Peoria effort. On the East Peoria side, tobacco and candy distributor Dale Burklund teamed up with Avanti’s owner Albert Zeller, Dr. James DeBord and attorney John Howard to lead the effort.
The East Peoria conglomerate made a case that land along Route 116 was the most suitable in the area for a casino. Jumer countered by promising to build a hotel in Downtown Peoria.
In a stunning move that tilted the quest for a casino heavily in East Peoria’s favor, Jumer would end up selling his stake in the boat works to Burklund.
January 1991: Fateful agreement signed between Peoria, East Peoria
East Peoria and Peoria signed a revenue sharing agreement in January 1991. The agreement stipulated the two cities share the gambling revenue generated by the casino in a 45%-45% split. All other revenue — such as property taxes, sales taxes, hotel taxes — would stay in East Peoria. The other 10% is put into a mutual development fund where 5% of the revenue must be spent on the east side of the river and the other 5% on the west side of the river.
In the agreement, a provision stated that should any land-based casino ever be built in the area, it must be built on Peoria’s side of the river.
November 1991: First riverboat casino docks in Peoria
A paddlewheel riverboat docks in Peoria and opens for service. Peoria would serve as a temporary home for the boat while East Peoria finished construction on what would be its permanent docking place.
May 1993: Current Par-A-Dice Riverboat docks in East Peoria
Replacing the temporary paddlewheeler, the current iteration of the Par-A-Dice Casino Riverboat opens for business in East Peoria.
June 2019: Land-based casino gambling legalized in Illinois
Land-based casino gambling was legalized by the Illinois state legislature and Gov. JB Pritzker in June 2019. Peoria lawmakers Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, and Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, worked to make sure that the bill legalizing land-based casino gambling affirmed the language in the 1991 deal signed between East Peoria and Peoria.
February 2020: Peoria officials travel to Las Vegas
Peoria city officials, including City Manager Patrick Urich, former Mayor Jim Ardis, Gordon-Booth, Spain and a city attorney traveled to Las Vegas in February 2020 to meet with leaders from Boyd Gaming.
The purpose of that meeting was for Peoria’s leaders to deliver a early pitch to Boyd, signaling that should it ever build a land-based casino, Peoria would welcome it.
March 2024: Boyd Gaming says it’s planning to build a new casino
Boyd delivered a presentation to the Illinois Gaming Board on plans to build a new “modern” facility in the Peoria area. The Illinois Gaming Board gave Boyd a new four-year license and asked that it show the board plans for a new facility in 2026.
July 2024: Relationship between Peoria, East Peoria sours over casino
Tensions began brewing last year between leaders of Peoria and East Peoria as the cities’ two mayors exchanged terse emails over the future of the casino.
After Boyd Gaming hinted it would be building a land-based casino, Peoria officials quickly moved to make sure Boyd Gaming was aware of the terms of the 1991 agreement that was reaffirmed in 2019 state legislation.
East Peoria Mayor John Kahl did not appreciate Peoria’s overtures.
In an email to Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, Kahl said Peoria’s pursuit of the casino could lead to the relationship between the two cities being “forever strained.”
Ali sent back in an email of her own: “I have to believe, John, that if the tables were turned, that you would take the same position as I have and seek to enforce compliance with our agreement.”
December 2024: Peoria makes another move toward casino
The Peoria City Council unanimously moved to approve a plan to hire a consulting firm and law firm to aid the city in its quest to secure a land-based casino.
Peoria hired Innovation Capital LLC and Elias, Meginnes and Seghetti to help Peoria in its dealings with Boyd Gaming.
Innovation Capital was hired on a minimum monthly retainer of $10,000 under the contract. Peoria will pay it another $250,000 if there is a development agreement that brings a land-based casino to Peoria. Peoria pays the attorneys $395 an hour.
January 2025: Peoria, Boyd Gaming discuss possible locations for casino
Peoria city officials and leaders from Boyd Gaming discussed multiple locations for a potential land-based casino in Peoria. Officials declined to name the locations but did say Boyd preferred locations visible from the interstate.
February 2025: Boyd Gaming says it hopes to build $100M casino
Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith told investors on a call in February that the company hoped to build a new $100 million casino to replace the Par-A-Dice Casino Riverboat.
While Smith did not say if it would be land-based or not, he did say it would be similar to the casino they built in Kenner, Louisiana, which is a land-based casino. Construction of a new casino could begin in 2026, Smith told investors.
February 2025: East Peoria mayor has harsh words for Peoria
During his 2025 State of the City Address, which was held at the Par-A-Dice Casino Hotel in East Peoria, Kahl took shots at Peoria’s pursuit of the casino, saying he would “protect” the rights of private businesses to make their own decisions and the city would not tell businesses “what to do” or “where you have to be.”
He would later tell reporters: “I think a lot of people have this misconception about the Par-A-Dice. The revenues are split 50% on each side. I don’t know why they can’t wrap their arms around that. Boyd has really done a tremendous job of supporting this entire region, and I hope people understand that.”
February 2025: Peoria mayor delivers firm statement to gaming board
In a February letter penned to the Illinois Gaming Board, Mayor Ali said Boyd Gaming needs to either build a land-based casino in Peoria or sell its Par-A-Dice gaming license to someone who will.
“If Boyd is not prepared to develop land-based gaming and related facilities in Peoria, we ask that the IGB require Boyd to sell the Par-A-Dice gaming license to another casino operator that is prepared to develop a land-based gaming facility in Peoria,” Ali said in a Feb. 4 letter to the gaming board.
July 2025: Boyd says its working on final stages of designs
In a July call with investors, Smith said Boyd Gaming was working on the final design and regulatory approval process for its “modern, new entertainment facility.”
Smith did not state if the new casino would be land-based on the call with investors.
July 2025: Peoria says East Peoria of working with Boyd on casino loophole
Attorney hired by the City of Peoria sent a letter to officials in East Peoria on July 24 in which they accused East Peoria and Boyd of working together to exploit a loophole using the definition of “water-based” gaming to construct a new casino in the parking lot of the current Par-A-Dice Casino.
Peoria’s concerns were based on the belief that Boyd Gaming had taken soil boring samples of the Par-A-Dice parking lot. That led Peoria to believe that Boyd Gaming was considering building a new casino at that location.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Par-A-Dice casino history: From the legalization of gambling in Illinois to modern-day disputes
Reporting by JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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