In brief, my thoughts are that it’s small and a place I probably wouldn’t visit if I lived in Chicago, but it has it’s place. It’s casinos like Harrah’s Joliet that make me appreciate casinos in Las Vegas and even in Atlantic City.
Photo: Chicago Casino Directory
Harrah’s Joliet is a very small casino that used to live on the water and is essentially a grounded riverboat. Unlike most of the east coast casinos that aren’t in Atlantic City there is a hotel attached with about 200 rooms.
The casino, itself, is tiny with about 8 blackjack tables, 4 non-blackjack (3 card poker, etc) tables and 4 roulette/craps tables. There is also a 4 table pit that resembled a “party pit.” About 75% of the casino consists of video poker and blackjack machines. Unfortunately, I didn’t see 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker machines at less than $5.
Drinks are served at the tables, but must be paid for. I say no to this. I don’t pay for drinks when I gamble. Just the way I am and I’m stubborn about it. The bar was cheap, but didn’t take Total Rewards credits in exchange for beverages. I wasn’t in a drinking mood (believe it or not) so none of this bothered me. I had a couple light beers and called it a night.
At the end of the night I noticed a fountain soda machine for all the pop you could drink.
Friends played various table games, but I wasn’t in the mood so I played some penny slots and $1 Bonus Poker. After losing a couple hundred dollars we decided to leave and move on to a nearby bar with a better beer selection.
ID’s are checked upon entry and the most interesting thing about the casino is that the government charges the casino $3 per person that enters. I guess this isn’t a practice at Harrah’s Hammond in Indiana, which is also about 40 minutes from Chicago.
In summation, I had fun because of the people I was with but was more amused by Harrah’s Joiliet than anything else. If I had to sum up the casino in one word it would be “cute.” Harrah’s Joliet is a small suburban casino and if I gambled just to gamble I’d be into this joint. However, I look for more of an experience when I go to a casino and it wasn’t provided here.
I did love Harrah’s Joliet, but I didn’t hate it. Even though I’m told Harrah’s Hammond (IN) is smokey, I’d probably check that out on my next trip but I’m really not compelled to visit either.
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