The story of how this truck stop came to be a gambling gold mine, the story of why it’s even considered a truck stop, is one element in a brazen series of maneuvers over several years by a video slot and poker operator to squeeze money from a struggling city. Its five slot and poker machines bring in more than $100,000 a month, making it not only Waukegan’s most lucrative video gambling spot but also one of the most profitable in Illinois. But what the Waukegan Thorntons lacks as a truck stop, it more than makes up for as a video gambling destination.
