Though PENN Entertainment is moving its casino in Joliet just six miles within city limits, one got the sense at Wednesday’s ceremonial groundbreaking that it’s entering a whole new world of bigger plans and dreams.

Interstate 55 is in sight from where the $185 million casino will be located. I-55 and I-80 converge just to the south, and an estimated 230,000 vehicles pass within the area daily. PENN announced plans in October 2022 to move both its Illinois-based properties, which also includes Hollywood Casino in Aurora. The gaming company broke ground at the new Aurora location late last month.

“The proximity of the two interstates give us access to a lot of vehicles that are passing here day and night, and hopefully will make this property be very successful for the community where we stand today,” said Rafael Verde, PENN’s senior vice president, regional operations, to a crowd full of stakeholders in a tent next to the new property. “I think it’s going to give us a great opportunity to move to a way better location than we were before and gives us reach to a market that we didn’t have before.”

PENN expects the property to open in late 2025 or early 2026, continuing what has been a steady post-pandemic expansion of gaming in Illinois following a bill signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2019. That law legalized sports wagering, furthered the reach of video gaming terminals (VGTs), and created seven new casino licenses in addition to waiving the waterfront requirement for casinos.

Casino to serve as centerpiece of multi-use complex

The casino will be the anchor of Rock Run Collection, which also has plans for a movie theater, multiple restaurants, 150,000 square feet of office space, and 570 apartment units. The casino will have a retail sportsbook, 850 slots, and 44 table games, including a baccarat room.

The Joliet casino will also have multiple bars and a 10,000-square-foot convention center. PENN will add 150 employees to the casino workforce, raising the total head count to 515, and 450 jobs are being created by construction of the venue.

The land had been targeted for development previously in 2008, but those plans fell through due to the recession. Cullinan Properties Chairwoman Diane Cullinan Oberhelman spoke ambitiously about PENN and Rock Run being a “super regional destination” that would have the ability to draw from the 10 million people in the Chicagoland area 50 miles away.

“We saw great potential in Joliet many years ago, potential that many people around the country didn’t see as clearly as the people in this tent and Cullinan Properties,” she said. “Outsiders did not see the great vision and possibilities at the crossroads of the Midwest.”

“I think it took a lot of courage to make this decision. I think it took a lot of work and you only get one chance to do something right, and I think they’ve done it right,” added Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy, who ran a car dealership in the city for more than 30 years before being elected in April. “Our job will be to help economic development … and help them bring people to this site. There’s a lot of different opportunities for us. We’ve just got to let people know we’re here.”

Revenue numbers offer potential for growth

There was a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a new Hollywood Casino location that looks to bring a massive economic boost to Joliet. https://t.co/nvinaj2pOr

— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 14, 2023

Hollywood Joliet has generated close to $83.3 million in adjusted gross casino revenue through the first 11 months of the year. That is up 3.9% from the same period in 2022, with table games revenue up 2.1% to nearly $10.5 million and slot winnings increasing by 4.2%.

The existing venue has generated nearly $14.3 million in state tax revenue this year, and an additional $4.8 million in local tax receipts. Year-over-year admissions are up 3.7% to almost 622,000, while revenue per admission has been relatively flat at $133.89 compared to $133.56 in 2022.

Mike Thoma, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Joliet, stressed the importance of community support as the Rock Run Collection project moves forward. He touched on relationships with multiple charities in the city during his remarks and is eager to keep pushing forward. When asked what the most important thing would be over the next two years, Thoma turned pensive before providing an all-encompassing answer.

“Probably just prepping for the move, getting all the product we need in, developing the talent, developing the staff, ramping up with hiring,” he said. “There’s a multitude of things that obviously go into a move like this, and we have it laid out in timing.”

All photos by Chris Altruda