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Feature Adam Fine

Chicagoland (continued)
Ten years after the first riverboat set sail in Illinois, Chicago's casinos have turned into one of the hottest markets in gaming. Here's what to expect in the months ahead

Harrah’s Casino Hotel, Joliet

Harrah’s Corp. has long regarded its Joliet casino facility as the model for its other riverboat gaming complexes, perhaps because it marked the company’s entry into the riverboat market ten years ago. Joliet’s function has changed somewhat as riverboat gaming states evolved and became more diversified, but with Illinois now playing catch-up, Harrah’s Joliet is once again on the move.

An $82 million overhaul of the gaming area is now in the works, with the opening of a major barge facility to replace the property’s two riverboats, the Northern and Southern Star, as well as a desperately needed new casino entrance, parking garage and porte cochere. Like Hollywood, all of the gaming will be located on a single level, and nearly 1,000 new machines will be added to the mix, bringing the property up to truly competitive standards.

But this type of expansion is nothing new for the Joliet property. A major hotel facility opened last year with Harrah’s typically upscale amenities, connected to the actual gaming facility. Gamblers let down by the cramped and outdated riverboats will find the new Harrah’s Joliet complex a pleasure, especially once the barge opens.

In the meantime, the land-based pavilion offers a wide range of amenities, including the Fresh Market Square Buffet, the Winning Streaks Stadium Cafe, and several lounges featuring live entertainment every weekend. Moving a step away from Harrah’s usual development of corporatewide brand-name restaurants, the Joliet property recently replaced The Range Steakhouse with the decidedly upscale Van Buren’s, an intimate gourmet restaurant with a first-class wine list. This was actually a wise move on Harrah’s part. Joliet’s original version of The Range lacked the flair and upscale panache that has become signature with Harrah’s steakhouse brand. Van Buren’s is easily one of the finest gourmet restaurants in Chicagoland, with a reservations list that can stretch weeks in advance.

Empress Casino Hotel, Joliet

Both Harrah’s and Empress may be located in Joliet, but the two couldn’t be farther away from each other in style and scope. Harrah’s is located in the heart of Joliet’s downtown business corridor, whereas Empress is located far outside of town, along a stretch of river that alternates between electrical plants and farms. The Empress gaming complex (l.) covers some 300 acres, and is ripe for major development.

This is, of course, precisely what Jack Binion and Horseshoe Corp. had in mind when purchasing the Empress facilities, and what Argosy Gaming will now have to consider with its ownership of the Empress.


	*Harrah's, East Chicago*

Even without additional investment, the Empress is a mighty viable gaming complex. Since opening in June of 1992, it has established a loyal following among Chicago-land’s most rural of residents. Four years later, a 102-room hotel was opened on the property, allowing tourists and locals alike to spend a comfortable night.

The Empress has a well conceived Egyptian theme that is at times as beautiful as it is striking. Its finest amenity is the gorgeous Steakhouse Alexandria, with its towering palms and flickering votive candles, although the Cafe Casablanca and the colorful, moody Marrakech Market Buffet are both popular with guests. The Empress is also the only casino in the region with an OTB terminal. Even more unusual is Zanzibar, the property’s state-of-the-art disco and entertainment venue–again, the only one of its kind in the area.

Like Illinois’ other gaming facilities, the Empress is limited to 1,200 gaming positions, spread out over two riverboats. Whether Argosy chooses to replace the riverboats with a barge is unknown at this point, but Argosy must be quite happy with its acquisition.

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