Casinos Decline Tied To Joliet's Challenges

JOLIET, IL - Last week, Joliet announced "all non-emergency" overtime pay for city employees was being halted effective immediately to address a short-term financial hardship facing City Hall. Joliet may lose roughly $2.6 million under the new state of Illinois budget. A decade ago, that wouldn't be a jarring blow because Joliet's two casinos thrived. But for the last nine years. Joliet's gaming revenue has deceased.

Joliet has two casinos, Harrah's, which is downtown, and Hollywood Casino, which is near Route 6.

"When you are talking about going from $36 million in 2007 to $18 million (in 2016), that's significant," Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk said. "That's a big challenge. And on our end, the city's costs have not gone down, and we've put the riverboat money into the general fund, whereas some other communities used that for capital funds, new police cars, new fire trucks or to fund snow plows."

Overall, both Harrah's and Hollywood Casino "clearly have been positive for the city," the mayor noted, acknowledging "the big boom" for the riverfront casinos "is probably over."

Last week, Joliet Patch tracked down the city of Joliet's financial data related to Harrah's and Hollywood Casino. It goes without saying, the casinos have been a huge financial engine for the city of Joliet. On the other hand, the casinos reached their peak a decade ago and haven't enjoyed the same success ever since. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

$102.8 million

Joliet's gaming revenue from wagering and admissions over the three-year period of 2005, 2006 and 2007.

$74.9 million

Joliet's gaming revenue from wagering, admissions covering 2008, 2009 and 2010, which was also the height of the Great Recession.

$62.2 million

Joliet's gaming revenue from wagering, admissions for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

$54.8 million

Joliet's gaming revenue for wagering, admissions for 2014, 2015 and 2016

$36,168,333

The total revenue Joliet received for 2007 from Harrah's and the Empress Casino off Route 6, which changed its name to Hollywood Casino Joliet in December 2010.

$17,784,156

Joliet's gaming revenue for 2016 from casino wagering and casino admissions.

$1.7 million

Total revenue for Joliet since video gaming started. In 2013, the city generated nearly $152,000 from video gaming. Last year, Joliet generated nearly $657,000.

$18.4 million

Joliet's total gaming revenue for 2016 involving casino wagering, casino admissions and video gaming. The $18.4 million figure marks a nearly $3.4 million revenue drop from 2011, and an $16.4 million revenue drop from 2006.

Image via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak