All-New, Land-Based Entertainment Destination Offers Guests Premier Gaming, Entertainment and World-Class Dining
WYOMISSING, Pa. & JOLIET, Ill., August 11, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today marks the grand opening of Hollywood Casino Joliet, the all-new, land-based property by PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) (“PENN” or the “Company”). The $185 million state-of-the-art casino replaces the former riverboat property that operated on the shores of the Des Plaines River since 1992.
Legislators and area dignitaries, Illinois Gaming Board officials, Chicago Bears executives and NFL legend and Joliet native Tom Thayer are joining PENN team members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning. Hollywood Casino Joliet will then open to the public at 4:00 p.m. and welcome guests to experience approximately 1,000 of the newest slot machines, 43 table games, a retail ESPN BET™ sportsbook, upscale national and Chicagoland celebrity-led dining and, above all, a premier guest experience.
“We would like to officially welcome players and guests to the all-new Hollywood Casino Joliet,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and President of PENN Entertainment. “After approximately 20 months of construction, we are thrilled to open the doors to this land-based entertainment destination. We are proud of our 30-year history in Will County and are committed to continuing our investment in the community by creating new jobs, providing important tax revenue, and serving as a new attraction to bring even more visitors to the area.”
“This opening marks an exciting new era of entertainment in Joliet,” said Todd George, Executive Vice President of Operations for PENN. “We’re grateful for the support from the city of Joliet, the Illinois Gaming Board, and our business and community partners who contributed to the successful development of this new property. We look forward to delivering an elevated experience with world class dining, entertainment, and gaming options for patrons across the region.”
The roughly 189,000 square foot entertainment destination employs approximately 600 team members and generated around 450 construction jobs. Open seven days a week and 24 hours a day, the fun and excitement will continue 365 days a year.
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Gaming Floor
Hollywood Casino Joliet’s gaming floor features 1,000 of the latest video reel slot and video poker machines, as well as 43 exciting table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, and more. The ESPN BET sportsbook includes one of Chicagoland’s largest TV screens to create the ultimate watching experience, sports betting tellers, and sports wagering and racing kiosks, along with interactive games.
Dining and Entertainment
Hollywood Casino Joliet features multiple world-class dining options throughout the property, including many options for guests of all ages.
PENN partnered with celebrity chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis to create Sorellina by Giada, an upscale restaurant that combines De Laurentiis’ signature fusion of classic Italian cuisine and modern California influence. The restaurant seats roughly 170 guests and features a unique menu of pastas, pizza, and more.
Boulevard Food & Drink Hall is a dynamic dining experience operated by McClain Camarota Hospitality, founded by James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Shawn McClain. Open to all ages with both indoor seating and an outdoor patio with a fire feature, Boulevard Food & Drink Hall includes Chicago favorites Antique Taco and Pretty Cool Ice Cream, as well as Five50 Pizza and Lucky Goat, an all-new burger concept from fellow James Beard Award-winning celebrity chef Stephanie Izard.
In addition to the numerous betting opportunities and massive screen highlighting the hottest sports action from around the world, ESPN BET is also a full service, classic casual restaurant that seats roughly 185 patrons in the dining room and bar. Guests can enjoy a wide array of food and beverage options, featuring favorites such as burgers, crispy wings, sandwiches, and shareables, plus a wide selection of craft and domestic beers and hand-crafted cocktails.
Red Lotus Asian Kitchen will serve patrons authentic made-to-order Asian cuisine, featuring popular noodle and southeast Asian specialties designed to excite the senses in a sleek, modern designed open kitchen. Nearby on the gaming floor is &Vine, a 100-seat bar and entertainment lounge offering distinctive beverages and will be host to various artists for guests to enjoy.
In addition, Hollywood Casino Joliet’s 10,000 square foot event center includes a customizable layout to accommodate weddings, galas, community events, concerts, sports events, meetings, and more. The event center is also accessible for all ages.
PENN Play™ Rewards Program
Guests can elevate their experience with PENN Play, PENN Entertainment’s industry-leading loyalty program, available at more than 35 destinations nationwide. This free membership offers exclusive access to events, experiences, and personalized rewards across gaming, dining, hotel stays, and entertainment.
With five membership tiers—Play, Advantage, Preferred, Elite, and Owners Club, members enjoy benefits such as priority access, premium partner perks, and personalized offers. Members can easily track their rewards and tier progress through the PENN Play app, which also manages their loyalty dollars “PENN Cash”, redeemable for PENN SlotPlay, hotel stays, dining, and more. Once members reach 3,000 Tier Points, they unlock Real Time Rewards, delivering instant PENN Cash bonuses. The program also proudly features PENN Heroes, honoring active-duty military, veterans, and first responders with exclusive benefits, including annual tier upgrades, hotel and dining discounts, and special promotions.
About Hollywood Casino Joliet Hollywood Casino Joliet, operated by PENN Entertainment, is now open at the all-new, land-based entertainment destination located at 1401 Gateway Blvd., Joliet, IL. The state-of-the-art casino recently replaced the former riverboat located on the shores of the Des Plaines River since 1992. The all-new Hollywood Casino Joliet features 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 www.hollywoodcasinojoliet.com
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.
