Illinois gamblers will have another casino option in a couple of months when the new Hollywood Casino opens in the Chicago suburb of Joliet.
The $185 million property is replacing the current Hollywood Casino, which opened in 1992 in the same city. But the new property will house 1,000 slot machines and 43 live table games. Brick-and-mortar
Compared to other states, Illinois has a fairly robust gambling industry. Lawmakers legalized online and retail sports betting, but lawmakers haven’t made a decision on Illinois online casinos yet. As a result, brick-and-mortar properties make up most of the state’s gambling tax revenue.
According to owner Penn Entertainment, the property will open on Aug. 11. The new venue will employ about 600 workers, about 200 more than the current casino.
“The countdown to the opening of our newest casino begins today,” Penn CEO and President Jay Snowden said. “The move from our existing riverboat significantly improves our offerings in the highly attractive Chicagoland market, and both our existing customers and new guests will be able to enjoy premier gaming, dining, and entertainment at this exceptionally accessible new location.”
Casino Part Of New Retail & Housing Development
In addition to the slots and table games, the new Hollywood will include a baccarat room, an ESPN Bet sportsbook, and a 10,000 square-foot event center. However, the casino will disappoint poker players since there are no plans for a poker room.
The venue will anchor the Rock Run Collection, a new commercial and residential development that will offer retail, restaurants, entertainment, healthcare, services, and other amenities, as well as multi-family housing.
Joliet, which is located about 45 miles southwest of Chicago, is also home to Harrah’s Casino. That riverboat casino also doesn’t have a poker room either. However, the Hard Rock in Rockford, Horseshoe in Hammond, and Ameristar in East Chicago all have poker rooms.
The Ameristar also hosts some mid-stakes poker tournament series and the Horseshoe is a staple on the World Series of Poker Circuit tour. Last week, Harrison Genson bested a 619-entry field at Ameristar to win the Major Series of Poker main event.
Bally’s is also currently building a major casino resort within Chicago and the $1.7 billion development will include 3,400 slots, 170 table games, and 500 hotel rooms. The resort is also expected to have a poker room, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
That property has seen some ups and downs, including a recent pause in construction after gaming regulators recently reported that the project used a waste-hauling services company that was allegedly linked to organized crime.
