Weird question for Las Vegas forum, but has anyone been to...

Since we are all mostly gamblers at heart on the Las Vegas forum, I thought someone might be able to answer my question......

I have booked a stay at the Harrah%26#39;s in Joliet Il for next month. Can anyone tell me what it is like? Will the casino be so packed on a Saturday night that we%26#39;ll be standing around waiting to play? Are the restaurants/lounge(s) any good?

Weird question for Las Vegas forum, but has anyone been to...

Harrahs Joliet is pretty nice. The rooms sometimes show their age but they are well kept. They are all larger than the standard Harrahs Las Vegas room. If you do not have a Diamond card, make sure you get some free admissions to the casino when you check in. Also, make sure you use the hotel valet and parking garage and not the one for the casino.

The buffet is okay for lunch and dinner but good for brunch, Winning Streaks the sports bar is pretty good. The Van Burens steakhouse is supposed to be awesome but I have never been. Aces Diner opened on the casino floor, too new for me to have tried it.

On a Saturday night, there is a good chance you may have to stand around to play because our crazy state government can%26#39;t get any thing done in Springfield.

You are not too far from Empress if you need to try somewhere else.

Weird question for Las Vegas forum, but has anyone been to...

Last time I was in Joliet it was for 2 years and I couldnt wait to get out of that town. They did close down the %26#39;hotel %26#39; I stayed at.

Funny you ask this question....I am traveling to Illinois next week for 10 days. Can you tell me why you wanted to get out of that town so quickly?

Cali....I think he is referring to the prison located in Joliet....Like where Jake and Elwood ended up going at the end of the movie. Also where Jake got out of early in the movie.

Yeah, the Charm School used to be there. I was just pulling your leg.

Joliet is quite a nasty place though generally, never go there myself casino or not.

Thanks...I had to ask!

I%26#39;m staying in Peoria, Illinois for 10 days. Any thoughts on that town?

for any of those that hit casinos around the country, I can say that Bosier City (Shreveport) is a total dump as well. It has no vegas ambience, you fear for your life in that armpit of a town, and the gaming is very limited. Add to this that you have a million ';low-rents'; clogging the slots and VP machines (mostly not even playing), and it is thoroughly unenjoyable. I have not been to Atlantic City, but from things I have heard, it%26#39;s also pretty dingy.

I was there once in I think 2000. I hated it, but that%26#39;s probably because they took all my money. I was really excited because I thought it would be totally awesome, gambling on a ';riverboat'; I didn%26#39;t realize it was just a building with a little moat around it-not even as cool as the Excalibur. I seem to recall that you had to exchange your money for Harrah%26#39;s tokens to play the slots %26amp; the only other place I%26#39;d seen that was Canada so I thought it was a little strange. Never saw the hotel, restaraunts or nightlife as we were just passing through town %26amp; stopped to make a donation.

Nothing really compares to Vegas, I realize. I went to the Harrahs in San Diego about a year ago and was pretty dissapointed too.