Latest news with #HollywoodCasinoJoliet
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Hollywood Casino Joliet set to open earlier than expected
A new Chicago-area casino is getting ready to open this summer – months ahead of schedule. Hollywood Casino Joliet, which is leaving its longtime riverboat home, announced Wednesday it is planning to move into its new land-based facility Aug. 11, pending regulatory approval. 'The countdown to the opening of our newest casino begins today,' Jay Snowden, Penn Entertainment's CEO and president, said in a news release. '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.' Construction is nearing completion on the new $185 million Hollywood Casino Joliet in the Rock Run Collection, a sprawling 310-acre mixed-use development adjacent to the Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 interchange. The facility will feature expanded gaming, with 1,000 slots, 43 table games, a retail sportsbook, a 10,000-square-foot event center and restaurants. The casino, which broke ground in December 2023, was initially projected to open at the end of this year. Penn is also building a new land-based entertainment complex for Hollywood Casino Aurora, which is slated to open next year. The $360 million facility is going up near I-88 and Chicago Premium Outlets mall and will include 1,200 gaming positions, a 220-room hotel, a retail sportsbook, a spa, an outdoor entertainment area, a 12,000-square-foot event center and restaurants. Both casinos will offer new Italian restaurants in partnership with Giada De Laurentiis, and food halls featuring the first suburban locations for Antique Taco and Pretty Cool Ice Cream, as well as Lucky Goat, a new burger restaurant by celebrity chef Stephanie Izard. The restaurants are expected to open in time to feed the first gamblers at Hollywood Casino Joliet in August, pending approval by the Illinois Gaming Board, a Penn spokesperson said. Launched in the 1990s when the state legalized riverboat casinos, both Joliet and Aurora are still operating as permanently moored barges on the Des Plaines and Fox rivers, respectively. The state's sweeping 2019 gambling expansion bill, which added everything from six new casinos to sports betting, allowed all casinos to be built on or moved to dry land. Rivers Des Plaines became the first to convert to a land-based casino, paying a $250,000 Gaming Board fee in 2020 to expand beyond an underground pool on which it was built. The state's newer casinos, including Bally's Chicago, Wind Creek Chicago Southland and Hard Rock Rockford, are all land-based. Rivers Casino Des Plaines was once again the state's top casino in April with $43.9 million in adjusted gross receipts, followed by newcomer Wind Creek, which hit a new high with $17.1 million in revenue, according to Gaming Board data. Wind Creek, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, launched in its permanent 70,000-square-foot casino in south suburban East Hazel Crest in November. Last month, it opened a 255-room hotel. In May 2022, Rhode Island-based Bally's was selected to build the Chicago casino at the site of the former Tribune printing plant in River West, a $1.7 billion proposal that includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000 gaming positions. The casino is expected to open in September 2026. Work was temporarily halted May 1 after the Gaming Board discovered the construction project was using an unauthorized subcontracted waste hauler previously alleged to have had ties to organized crime. The agency gave Bally's Chicago the green light to resume construction May 15 with a new vendor vetting and disclosure process in place. Bally's, which has been operating a temporary casino at Medinah Temple since September 2023, was ranked fifth among the state's 16 full casinos with $11 million in adjusted gross receipts last month, according to data from the Gaming Board. Hollywood Casino Aurora ranked eighth in revenue during April at $8.3 million and Hollywood Casino Joliet was 10th at $7.1 million, according to Gaming Board data. rchannick@
Chicago Tribune
28-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
New Hollywood Casino Joliet set to open earlier than expected
A new Chicago-area casino is getting ready to open this summer – months ahead of schedule. Hollywood Casino Joliet, which is leaving its longtime riverboat home, announced Wednesday it is planning to move into its new land-based facility on Aug. 11, pending regulatory approval. 'The countdown to the opening of our newest casino begins today,' Jay Snowden, Penn Entertainment's CEO and president, said in a news release. '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.' Construction is nearing completion on the new $185 million Hollywood Casino Joliet in the Rock Run Collection, a sprawling 310-acre mixed-use development adjacent to the Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 interchange. The facility will feature expanded gaming, with 1,000 slots, 43 table games, a retail sportsbook, a 10,000-square-foot event center and restaurants. The casino, which broke ground in December 2023, was initially projected to open at the end of this year. Penn is also building a new land-based entertainment complex for Hollywood Casino Aurora, which is slated to open next year. The $360 million facility is going up near I-88 and Chicago Premium Outlets mall and will include 1,200 gaming positions, a 220-room hotel, a retail sportsbook, a spa, an outdoor entertainment area, a 12,000-square-foot event center and restaurants. Both casinos will offer new Italian restaurants in partnership with Giada De Laurentiis, and food halls featuring the first suburban locations for Antique Taco and Pretty Cool Ice Cream, as well as Lucky Goat, a new burger restaurant by celebrity chef Stephanie Izard. The restaurants are expected to open in time to feed the first gamblers at Hollywood Casino Joliet in August, pending approval by the Illinois Gaming Board, a Penn spokesperson said. Launched in the 1990s when the state legalized riverboat casinos, both Joliet and Aurora are still operating as permanently moored barges on the Des Plaines and Fox rivers, respectively. The state's sweeping 2019 gambling expansion bill, which added everything from six new casinos to sports betting, allowed all casinos to be built on or moved to dry land. Rivers Des Plaines became the first to convert to a land-based casino, paying a $250,000 Gaming Board fee in 2020 to expand beyond an underground pool on which it was built. The state's newer casinos, including Bally's Chicago, Wind Creek Chicago Southland and Hard Rock Rockford, are all land-based. Rivers Casino Des Plaines was once again the state's top casino in April with $43.9 million in adjusted gross receipts, followed by newcomer Wind Creek, which hit a new high with $17.1 million in revenue, according to Gaming Board data. Wind Creek, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, launched in its permanent 70,000-square-foot casino in south suburban East Hazel Crest in November. Last month, it opened a 255-room hotel. In May 2022, Rhode Island-based Bally's was selected to build the Chicago casino at the site of the former Tribune printing plant in River West, a $1.7 billion proposal that includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000 gaming positions. The casino is expected to open in September 2026. Work was temporarily shut down May 1 after the Gaming Board discovered the construction project was using an unauthorized subcontracted waste hauler previously alleged to have had ties to organized crime. The agency gave Bally's Chicago the green light to resume construction May 15 with a new vendor vetting and disclosure process in place. Bally's, which has been operating a temporary casino at Medinah Temple since September 2023, was ranked fifth among the state's 16 full casinos with $11 million in adjusted gross receipts last month, according to data from the Gaming Board. Hollywood Casino Aurora ranked eighth in revenue during April at $8.3 million and Hollywood Casino Joliet was 10th at $7.1 million, according to Gaming Board data. rchannick@
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PENN Entertainment Sets August 11 as Grand Opening Date for New Hollywood Casino Joliet in Illinois
New land-based casino will be the featured attraction of Rock Run Collection's super-regional destination in Chicagoland WYOMISSING, Pa., May 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PENN Entertainment, Inc. ("PENN" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: PENN) announced today that it expects to open the new land-based Hollywood Casino Joliet to the public on Monday, August 11, pending customary regulatory approvals. PENN's newest casino is scheduled to open nearly six months ahead of the Company's originally scheduled construction timeline. The new state-of-the-art destination entertainment facility will anchor Rock Run Collection, a new super-regional commercial and residential development, conveniently located adjacent to the Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 interchange that estimates to have 230,000 passing vehicles daily. The best-in-class property will feature approximately 1,000 slots and 43 live table games, including a baccarat room, a retail ESPN BET sportsbook, an approximately 10,000 square foot event center with meeting areas, and roughly 1,330 parking spaces. The Company expects to have approximately 600 team members at the new casino, growing PENN's employee roster in Joliet by 200. "The countdown to the opening of our newest casino begins today," said Jay Snowden, Chief Executive Officer and President for PENN. "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." Hollywood Casino Joliet will introduce numerous world class quality dining experiences for guests to enjoy. As previously announced, PENN has partnered with celebrity chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis to debut her fusion of classic Italian cuisine and modern California influence in the Chicagoland region for the first time. Sorellina by Giada will offer approximately 170 seats for dining and a contemporary bar featuring a comprehensive wine selection with a light, young, and casual aesthetic. PENN has also partnered with McClain Camarota Hospitality ("MCH") to bring prominent Chicago chefs and restaurants to Hollywood Casino Joliet. Through this partnership, the property will feature the Boulevard Food & Drink Hall, a dynamic dining experience that will include Lucky Goat, an all-new burger concept from celebrity chef Stephanie Izard; Antique Taco, the first suburban location for the popular gourmet taco restaurant; Pretty Cool Ice Cream, the Chicago favorite that also has store fronts in Logan Square and Lincoln Park; and Five50 Pizza, a New York-style meets Neapolitan pizza concept offering from the fine dining chefs at MCH. "We're thrilled to partner with these elite restauranteurs to bring amazing dining options to the new Hollywood Casino Joliet," said Todd George, Executive Vice President of Operations for PENN. "These concepts will create a vibrant atmosphere throughout the property and provide our patrons with an array of food and beverage offerings that are unmatched in the market." Additional details related to the grand opening of the new casino will be provided in advance of August 11. The Company expects to work with the Illinois Gaming Board on the transfer of operations from the existing Hollywood Casino Joliet, which is located on the Des Plaines River, to the new landside facility as the opening date nears. In the third quarter, PENN anticipates accessing approximately $130 million in funding from Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. for this $185 million project. About Hollywood Casino Joliet Opened in 1992 on the shores of the Des Plaines River, Hollywood Casino Joliet, operated by PENN Entertainment, features hundreds of the latest slot machines and table games along with electrifying entertainment and premier dining experiences. A new $185 million land-based Hollywood Casino Joliet is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025 featuring approximately 1,000 slots and 43 live table games, an ESPN BET sportsbook, several new restaurants and bars, event center and meeting space, and ample parking. For more information, visit About PENN Entertainment PENN Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries ("PENN," or the "Company"), is North America's leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences. PENN operates in 28 jurisdictions throughout North America, with a broadly diversified portfolio of casinos, racetracks, and online sports betting and iCasino offerings under well-recognized brands including Hollywood Casino®, L'Auberge®, ESPN BET™, and theScore BET Sportsbook and Casino®. PENN's ability to leverage its partnership with ESPN, the "worldwide leader in sports," and its ownership of theScore™, the top digital sports media brand in Canada, is central to the Company's highly differentiated strategy to expand its footprint and efficiently grow its customer ecosystem. PENN's focus on organic cross-sell opportunities is reinforced by its market-leading retail casinos, sports media assets, and technology, including a proprietary state-of-the-art, fully integrated digital sports and iCasino betting platform, and an in-house iCasino content studio (PENN Game Studios). The Company's portfolio is further bolstered by its industry-leading PENN Play™ customer loyalty program, offering its approximately 32 million members a unique set of rewards and experiences. Forward Looking Statement This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "intends," "plans," "goal," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "look forward to," or "anticipates" or the negative or other variations of these or similar words, or by discussions of future events, strategies or risks and uncertainties. These statements are based upon management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates and are not guarantees of timing, future results, or performance. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated in these statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those factors described in PENN Entertainment's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including PENN Entertainment's current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, except for PENN Entertainment's ongoing obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws, PENN Entertainment undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Jeff MorrisVP, Public AffairsPENN Entertainment, 610/373-2400 Mike NievesSVP, Finance & TreasurerPENN Entertainment, 610/373-2400 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hollywood Casino partnering with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis on Joliet, Aurora restaurants
The Hollywood casinos in Joliet and Aurora, which are both building new land-based facilities, are bringing in some star power for their planned restaurants. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has partnered with Hollywood parent company Penn Entertainment to launch two Italian restaurants at the suburban Chicago sister casinos. Sorella by Giada, a 170-seat restaurant featuring De Laurentiis' 'signature fusion of classic Italian cuisine and modern California influence,' is expected to open at Hollywood Casino Aurora in the first half of 2026. The more casual Sorellina at Hollywood Casino Joliet is slated to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Both restaurants are pending completion of their respective developments and regulatory approval by the Illinois Gaming Board. 'The two spaces are complementary but ultimately offer different aesthetics,' De Laurentiis said in a news release. 'Joliet's Sorellina, meaning 'little sister' in Italian, will be light, young and casual. Aurora's Sorella, meaning 'sister' in Italian, is more formal and refined.' The restaurants will offer menus built around pizza and pasta, contemporary design and the imprimatur of De Laurentiis, a celebrity chef well known to viewers for hosting a series of shows on the Food Network cable channel. She has also written several cookbooks. De Laurentiis owns and operates two restaurants in Las Vegas and one in Scottsdale, Arizona. Penn Entertainment hopes De Laurentiis and the new land-based facilities will be a catalyst for the suburban Chicago casinos — once both riverboats — to grab a bigger slice of the state's expanding casino industry, which generated $1.69 billion in adjusted gross receipts last year, according to the Gaming Board. 'Just having Giada as a partner, she has fans that are going to come and see her outlet and taste the food and the recipes that she's created for us,' Jaime Williams, regional vice president of marketing for Penn Entertainment, told the Tribune. 'Those partnerships alone are going to drive in new customers, and the facilities themselves will drive in new customers.' When Illinois legalized riverboat gambling 35 years ago, it meant driving to places like Joliet, Aurora and Peoria, paying an admission fee and taking a two-hour ride down a river on a floating casino. The Empress Casino, the forerunner of Hollywood Casino Joliet, launched its first riverboat in June 1992 from a newly built dock on the Des Plaines River south of Joliet near Channahon. The southwest suburban casino quickly became one of the busiest in the state, adding a second boat in December 1993. The Hollywood Casino hit the Fox River in west suburban Aurora in June 1993 with two riverboats offering cruises from a downtown dock every 90 minutes. In 1999 the state eliminated the cruising regulations, allowing casinos to remain docked or simply be built over water. Harrah's Joliet became the first to ditch the boat in 2001, constructing a casino on barges connected to its pavilion. In 2002 Penn acquired the Hollywood Casino chain, which then included the Aurora location and casinos in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 2005 Penn added the Empress Casino as part of its acquisition of Argosy Gaming. The Joliet casino was rebranded as Hollywood in 2009, after a fire that destroyed its Egyptian-themed pavilion. By the time Rivers Casino Des Plaines opened in 2011 as what was to be the state's 10th and final casino, the northwest suburban facility was simply built over a 144,000-gallon man-made pool to qualify as a riverboat. The state's sweeping 2019 gambling expansion bill, which added everything from six new casinos to sports betting, took it one step further, allowing all casinos to be built on or moved to dry land. Rivers became the first to convert to a land-based casino, paying a $250,000 Gaming Board fee to drain the pool and expand over adjacent dry land in 2020. The state's newer casinos, including Bally's Chicago, Wind Creek Chicago Southland and Hard Rock Rockford, are all land-based. Now two of the state's oldest casinos — both still operating as permanently moored barges in Joliet and Aurora — are set to join the club. Penn is building the new $185 million Hollywood Casino Joliet in the Rock Run Collection, a sprawling 310-acre mixed-use development adjacent to the Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 interchange. The facility will feature expanded gaming, with 1,000 slots, 43 table games, a retail sportsbook, a 10,000-square-foot event center and restaurants, including Sorellina by Giada. The $360 million Aurora casino complex being developed near I-88 and Chicago Premium Outlets mall will include 1,200 gaming positions, a 220-room hotel, a retail sportsbook, a spa, an outdoor entertainment area, a 12,000-square-foot event center and Sorella by Giada, among other dining options. New casinos have proved a big draw in Illinois. Since the November opening of its 70,000-square-foot casino in East Hazel Crest, Wind Creek has catapulted to second place among the state's 16 casinos in revenue and admissions. In February, the south suburban casino generated nearly $13.5 million in adjusted gross receipts and drew more than 186,000 visitors, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Rivers Casino Des Plaines once again topped the list, at $37.6 million in adjusted gross receipts and 216,000 visitors in February, according to the Gaming Board. Hard Rock Rockford, which moved from a temporary casino to a larger permanent facility in August, ranked third, with $11.2 million in adjusted gross receipts and 109,000 admissions. Bally's Chicago ranked fourth, with 97,000 admissions, and sixth with $8.8 million in adjusted gross receipts for February at its temporary Medinah Temple facility. Rhode Island-based Bally's, whose planned $250 million IPO for minority investors in the Chicago casino stalled at the SEC, recently broke ground on a $1.7 billion entertainment complex in River West slated to open in September 2026. Languishing in the middle of the state's pack, Hollywood Aurora ranked seventh, with 63,000 admissions, and eighth at $7.6 million in revenue for February. Hollywood Joliet was 10th, with 48,000 visitors, and ninth in revenue at $6.8 million, according to the Gaming Board. Penn Entertainment, a publicly traded company, has grown to 42 casinos and racetracks in North America, including Ameristar Casino East Chicago in northwest Indiana, the Argosy Casino in downstate Alton near St. Louis and 18 Hollywood-branded casinos. The company is banking on the new land-based casinos, including Giada's restaurants, to boost the Hollywood brand in suburban Chicago. 'Our goal is to attract new customers and new people interested in what we're going to be offering, not just from a gaming perspective, but from an entertainment perspective,' Williams said. rchannick@
Chicago Tribune
12-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Hollywood Casino partnering with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis on Joliet, Aurora restaurants
The Hollywood casinos in Joliet and Aurora, which are both building new land-based facilities, are bringing in some star power for their planned restaurants. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has partnered with Hollywood parent company Penn Entertainment to launch two Italian restaurants at the suburban Chicago sister casinos. Sorella by Giada, a 170-seat restaurant featuring De Laurentiis' 'signature fusion of classic Italian cuisine and modern California influence,' is expected to open at Hollywood Casino Aurora in the first half of 2026. The more casual Sorellina at Hollywood Casino Joliet is slated to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Both restaurants are pending completion of their respective developments and regulatory approval by the Illinois Gaming Board. 'The two spaces are complementary but ultimately offer different aesthetics,' De Laurentiis said in a news release. 'Joliet's Sorellina, meaning 'little sister' in Italian, will be light, young and casual. Aurora's Sorella, meaning 'sister' in Italian, is more formal and refined.' The restaurants will offer menus built around pizza and pasta, contemporary design and the imprimatur of De Laurentiis, a celebrity chef well known to viewers for hosting a series of shows on the Food Network cable channel. She has also written several cookbooks. De Laurentiis owns and operates two restaurants in Las Vegas and one in Scottsdale, Arizona. Penn Entertainment hopes De Laurentiis and the new land-based facilities will be a catalyst for the suburban Chicago casinos — once both riverboats — to grab a bigger slice of the state's expanding casino industry, which generated $1.69 billion in adjusted gross receipts last year, according to the Gaming Board. 'Just having Giada as a partner, she has fans that are going to come and see her outlet and taste the food and the recipes that she's created for us,' Jaime Williams, regional vice president of marketing for Penn Entertainment, told the Tribune. 'Those partnerships alone are going to drive in new customers, and the facilities themselves will drive in new customers.' When Illinois legalized riverboat gambling 35 years ago, it meant driving to places like Joliet, Aurora and Peoria, paying an admission fee and taking a two-hour ride down a river on a floating casino. The Empress Casino, the forerunner of Hollywood Casino Joliet, launched its first riverboat in June 1992 from a newly built dock on the Des Plaines River south of Joliet near Channahon. The southwest suburban casino quickly became one of the busiest in the state, adding a second boat in December 1993. The Hollywood Casino hit the Fox River in west suburban Aurora in June 1993 with two riverboats offering cruises from a downtown dock every 90 minutes. In 1999 the state eliminated the cruising regulations, allowing casinos to remain docked or simply be built over water. Harrah's Joliet became the first to ditch the boat in 2001, constructing a casino on barges connected to its pavilion. In 2002 Penn acquired the Hollywood Casino chain, which then included the Aurora location and casinos in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 2005 Penn added the Empress Casino as part of its acquisition of Argosy Gaming. The Joliet casino was rebranded as Hollywood in 2009, after a fire that destroyed its Egyptian-themed pavilion. By the time Rivers Casino Des Plaines opened in 2011 as what was to be the state's 10th and final casino, the northwest suburban facility was simply built over a 144,000-gallon man-made pool to qualify as a riverboat. The state's sweeping 2019 gambling expansion bill, which added everything from six new casinos to sports betting, took it one step further, allowing all casinos to be built on or moved to dry land. Rivers became the first to convert to a land-based casino, paying a $250,000 Gaming Board fee to drain the pool and expand over adjacent dry land in 2020. The state's newer casinos, including Bally's Chicago, Wind Creek Chicago Southland and Hard Rock Rockford, are all land-based. Now two of the state's oldest casinos — both still operating as permanently moored barges in Joliet and Aurora — are set to join the club. Penn is building the new $185 million Hollywood Casino Joliet in the Rock Run Collection, a sprawling 310-acre mixed-use development adjacent to the Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 interchange. The facility will feature expanded gaming, with 1,000 slots, 43 table games, a retail sportsbook, a 10,000-square-foot event center and restaurants, including Sorellina by Giada. The $360 million Aurora casino complex being developed near I-88 and Chicago Premium Outlets mall will include 1,200 gaming positions, a 220-room hotel, a retail sportsbook, a spa, an outdoor entertainment area, a 12,000-square-foot event center and Sorella by Giada, among other dining options. New casinos have proved a big draw in Illinois. Since the November opening of its 70,000-square-foot casino in East Hazel Crest, Wind Creek has catapulted to second place among the state's 16 casinos in revenue and admissions. In February, the south suburban casino generated nearly $13.5 million in adjusted gross receipts and drew more than 186,000 visitors, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Rivers Casino Des Plaines once again topped the list, at $37.6 million in adjusted gross receipts and 216,000 visitors in February, according to the Gaming Board. Hard Rock Rockford, which moved from a temporary casino to a larger permanent facility in August, ranked third, with $11.2 million in adjusted gross receipts and 109,000 admissions. Bally's Chicago ranked fourth, with 97,000 admissions, and sixth with $8.8 million in adjusted gross receipts for February at its temporary Medinah Temple facility. Rhode Island-based Bally's, whose planned $250 million IPO for minority investors in the Chicago casino stalled at the SEC, recently broke ground on a $1.7 billion entertainment complex in River West slated to open in September 2026. Languishing in the middle of the state's pack, Hollywood Aurora ranked seventh, with 63,000 admissions, and eighth at $7.6 million in revenue for February. Hollywood Joliet was 10th, with 48,000 visitors, and ninth in revenue at $6.8 million, according to the Gaming Board. Penn Entertainment, a publicly traded company, has grown to 42 casinos and racetracks in North America, including Ameristar Casino East Chicago in northwest Indiana, the Argosy Casino in downstate Alton near St. Louis and 18 Hollywood-branded casinos. The company is banking on the new land-based casinos, including Giada's restaurants, to boost the Hollywood brand in suburban Chicago. 'Our goal is to attract new customers and new people interested in what we're going to be offering, not just from a gaming perspective, but from an entertainment perspective,' Williams said.
