New Hollywood Casino Joliet Sets Opening Date Following $185 Million Build
Posted on: May 28, 2025, 09:17h.
Last updated on: May 28, 2025, 09:48h.
- Penn Entertainment is building a new Hollywood Casino Joliet
- The forthcoming Hollywood Joliet is a brick-and-mortar casino
- The $185 million project is almost complete
The new Hollywood Casino Joliet will open on August 11 with more than 1,000 slot machines, 43 live-dealer table games, and an ESPN Bet Sportsbook.
On Wednesday, Penn Entertainment announced that its brick-and-mortar Hollywood Casino Joliet is nearing completion. The Pennsylvania-based gaming firm that specializes in regional casinos says the $185 million project is six months ahead of the company’s originally anticipated construction timeline.
The significant investment results in the casino’s longtime riverboat being sunk in favor of a land-based gaming floor adjacent to the I-80/I-55 interchange, where some 230K vehicles pass daily. Along with the casino, the forthcoming Hollywood Joliet will include a 10K-square-foot event space, several restaurants and bars highlighted by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis’ “Sorellina by Giada,” and 1,330 parking spaces.
“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,” said Penn Entertainment President and CEO Jay Snowden.
Inland Move
Penn Entertainment is taking advantage of a 2019 change to Illinois law that allows riverboat casinos to move inland in exchange for a $250K fee and regulatory approval from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB).
Unlike in Louisiana, Indiana, and Mississippi, where riverboats seeking to build sturdier, more expansive brick-and-mortar gaming structures must remain close to their original barges, the Illinois riverboat gaming change allows casinos to move as much as five miles inland.
Penn is building its new Hollywood Casino Joliet roughly two air miles from where the current riverboat operates at the mixed-use destination called the RockRun Collection. RockRun, a planned community, includes residences, restaurants and bars, retail shopping, office space, and health care facilities. The project comes from East Peoria-based real estate developer Cullinan Properties.
Once Hollywood Casino Joliet opens, Penn says its workforce will expand by 200 team members for a total property employment of approximately 600 people.
Hollywood Aurora
About an hour’s drive north, Penn Entertainment remains under construction of its new Hollywood Casino Aurora. When Penn announced the Joliet project, it also confirmed a similar inland move for its Aurora operation.
Hollywood Aurora, however, is a much larger undertaking. The $360 million project, set for completion in 2026, will result in a new land-based casino with 1,200 slots and table game positions. But unlike in Joliet, Penn is also investing in a 220-key hotel.
Other planned draws in the new Hollywood Casino Aurora, located at Farnsworth Ave. and Bilter Rd. across from the Chicago Premium Outlets near the I-88 interchange, are an outdoor entertainment area, a full-service spa, and a 12K-square-foot event center.
Hollywood Aurora is also part of a mixed-use development called the APEX District. The city-led initiative is about three air miles northeast of where the Hollywood Casino riverboat is docked.
Penn is wagering a big bet that its new Illinois casinos will deliver a return to offset the $545 million allocation. Investors haven’t been optimistic of late, as shares are trading 20% lower year to date.
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