Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino, casino in East Peoria, Illinois, United States
Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino is a hotel and gaming casino on the Illinois River in Tazewell County, Illinois, built in the shape of a riverboat and permanently moored along the bank. The building spans several floors and combines hotel rooms, a casino floor with slot machines and table games, and a full-service restaurant.
The casino opened in the early 1990s when Illinois began issuing riverboat gambling licenses to a limited number of locations along its rivers. The requirement that casinos operate on or near water directly shaped the boat design that still defines the building today.
The name Par-A-Dice plays on the word paradise and on dice, the small cubes used in many casino games. This double meaning fits the tone of the place, where people come to try their luck at the tables or simply share a meal by the river.
The property sits just off a main road and has a large parking area that can handle a good number of vehicles at once. The casino operates around the clock, so visitors can arrive at any hour without worrying about timing.
Although the building looks like a working riverboat, it has not moved on the water since Illinois lifted the rule requiring casino boats to actually cruise. The hull and upper decks still look exactly like a river steamer from the outside, but the whole structure is now fixed in place at a permanent dock.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
