Ī $29-million hotel was added in 1999, with 204 rooms on 11 floors. A second vessel with a more traditional paddleboat look, the Southern Star, was added the following January. Harrah's Joliet launched its first boat on May 4, 1993, a 210-foot yacht named the Northern Star, with 500 slot machines and 40 table games. Hammons' stake was initially to be financed by Harrah's, but this led to concern from the Illinois Gaming Board that Hammons was 'selling' the license, so Hammons used his own money and outside funding sources instead. Hammons then brought Harrah's on board to operate the business and own an 80 percent share. Hammons who moved forward and was awarded the gaming license. Early discussions were held between Joliet and Harrah's, operator of casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City, but it was Missouri hotel developer John Q.
The plan called for a greater emphasis on the Des Plaines riverfront, including the construction of a slip for riverboat gambling, which had been legalized by the state earlier that year. The city began a downtown revitalization effort called Joliet City Center in 1990. It has 1,138 slot machines, 204 hotel rooms, and 4 restaurants. Harrah's Joliet is a riverboat casino in Joliet, Illinois, outside Chicago, operated by Caesars Entertainment.
