New $185 million Hollywood Casino Joliet opens, seen as regional destination point
The new Hollywood Casino Joliet opened Monday with fanfare that included a traditional Chinese lion dance and an announcement that the casino has become an official sponsor of the Chicago Bears.
It is expected to be a regional draw as evidenced by the roughly hundred patrons from across northern Illinois who waited in line to get in Monday morning while officials held an opening ceremony inside.
The casino officially opened to the public at 4 p.m. However, customers with Penn Players status were allowed in early at various times.
“They should have put something on the internet saying this is how we’re doing it on opening day,” said Michael Chu of Downers Grove, who was among those waiting in the heat to get inside the casino complex.
At the opening ceremony, executives honored their Joliet roots, recognizing seven employees who have been with the casino since a group of local investors opened it in 1992 as the Empress.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone for Hollywood Casino Joliet,” casino General Manager Ruben Warren said.
Penn Entertainment, which has owned the Joliet casino since 2005, spent $185 million to build the new land-based casino near the crossroads of interstates 55 and 80.
Penn President and CEO Jay Snowden said the casino reflects “our company’s commitment to the state of Illinois.”
Penn also is building a new Hollywood Casino Aurora on an 18.7-acre site near I-88 and Farnsworth Road. It will feature a modern casino, a 220-room four-star quality hotel with a spa, upscale bars and restaurants, and a 1,000-car parking structure and site improvements. It is expected to open later this year or in early 2026.
Warren said Hollywood Casino has become the official casino sponsor of the Chicago Bears. He also recognized Tom Thayer, a Joliet native who was an offensive lineman for the 1986 Super Bowl Bears, in the audience.
The casino has changed ownership three times and, like all Illinois casinos, has long ago moved away from the floating riverboat format required when gambling was legalized in Illinois in the early 1990s.
The new location marks the Joliet casino’s first move away from its original location along the Des Plaines River.
Instead, Penn will look toward the two interstates to bring what it hopes to be increased traffic to the casino.
Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy acknowledged the location and its potential to attract new customers during his remarks Monday.
D’Arcy described the casino as “a major attraction for our residents and residents across the region. And, since we’re at the crossroads of Mid-America, probably the whole country will stop here at some point.”
The city of Joliet calls itself the “crossroads of Mid-America” because of the crossing of I-55 and I-80, roads that extend to all four borders of the United States.
The new Hollywood Casino Joliet is designed to appeal to more than gamblers, featuring a half-dozen restaurants away from the casino floor that are accessible to people of all ages.
They include Sorellina by Giada, created by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis.
The Joliet venue also features two restaurants and bars on the casino floor, which customer Ron Yergovich of Schaumburg noted is an improvement over the old format.
“It’s nice having restaurants inside the casino,” Yergovich said.
Some customers felt the added dining features, on and off the casino floor, were long overdue.
Jean Marie Oliver of Peotone said the previous Hollywood Casino Joliet did have food offerings, but they paled in comparison to the restaurant offerings at other casinos.
Employees who have been with the casino since it opened 23 years ago say it has come a long way from its riverboat roots.
“It’s changed a lot and for the better,” said Mary Gallaga, one of the original employees recognized at the ceremony.