Hollywood Casino Joliet set to open $185 million land-based facility Monday

Hollywood Casino Joliet is preparing to open the doors of its new $185 million land-based facility on Monday, marking the end of its three-decade run as one of Illinois’ original riverboat casinos.

Pending final approval from the Illinois Gaming Board, the new 189,000-square-foot complex will anchor the Rock Run Collection, a 310-acre mixed-use development located at the intersection of Interstates 80 and 55.

“It’s very different than being on a riverboat,” Ruben Warren, General Manager of Hollywood Casino Joliet, told Chicago Tribune. “The riverboat had two levels, it sat on water, and it was 30 years old. This is a brand new build.”

The new casino replaces the riverboat, which closed permanently on July 29. Originally launched in 1992 as the Empress Casino, the vessel was acquired by Penn Entertainment in 2005 and rebranded as Hollywood Casino in 2009.

The expanded facility features 1,000 slot machines, 43 table games, a 10,000-square-foot event center, and an ESPN Bet retail sportsbook. The sportsbook includes a 43-by-9-foot screen, which Warren described as “the biggest screen in Chicagoland”, along with reclining chairs, bar seating, and betting kiosks.The new development also places an emphasis on food and entertainment. Boulevard Food & Drink Hall will feature the suburban debuts of Antique Taco, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, and Lucky Goat, a new burger concept from celebrity chef Stephanie Izard.

“We’re taking simple things like a fried chicken sandwich, burgers and french fries, but adding the type of flavors I love to use on all of my dishes,” said Izard, who opened Chicago’s acclaimed Girl & the Goat in 2010. “You’ve got some influences from all over, but in a way that’s very familiar.”

Another culinary highlight is Sorellina by Giada, a casual Italian eatery from Food Network personality Giada De Laurentiis. Dining events priced at $150 have already sold out. “We refer to this as our Ferrari,” said Michael Speagle, president and COO of GDL Cucina, pointing to the restaurant’s high-end 650-degree brick oven.

According to Warren, the new food options are accessible to families and non-gamblers, with separate entrances and daily hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Penn Entertainment, which also owns Hollywood Casino Aurora, is investing millions to transition both riverboat locations to land. The Aurora complex, a $360 million facility, is slated to open in 2026.

While Hollywood Casino Joliet ranked ninth in revenue among the state’s 17 casinos in the first half of 2025, with $43.4 million in adjusted gross receipts, Warren expects strong growth ahead. “We put this new casino in the perfect high-traffic location, in an up-and-coming development,” he told Chicago Tribune.

Illinois legalized riverboat casinos in 1990, but allowed land-based facilities starting with a 2019 gambling expansion bill. Since then, the Rivers Des Plaines casino has become the first riverboat to move inland in 2020, while newer properties like Hard Rock Rockford have been designed as land-based from the get-go.

Through the first half of 2025, state casinos generated $954 million in adjusted gross receipts, up 15.3% from a year earlier, according to Gaming Board data. Total admissions rose 24% to 7.6 million, driven largely by Wind Creek’s November opening.

Local officials say the new Joliet casino is expected to create 600 jobs and catalyze regional development.

“While Hollywood itself is going to create hundreds of new jobs, we know the potential there is awesome,” said Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Will County executive. “It’s all going to be about growth there, more restaurants, more shops, hospitality.”

Dr. Brian A. Thompson, a DePaul University economics professor, said the project has broad appeal. “It’s not just the casino, it’s also other retailers that will surround the casino, potential housing, which is certainly in demand at this point in time,” he said.

A final test run of the gaming floor was scheduled for Thursday night with regulators in attendance. If licensed, the facility will host a VIP event on Sunday, followed by a public opening on Monday afternoon.