Although there are no Riverboats in Chicago there are several in the surrounding area of Illinois. The three that will be reviewed here include: The Grand Victoria (Elgin), Argosy’s Empress (Joliet), and Par-A-Dice Casino (East Peoria).
Grand Victoria Casino
250 South Grove Avenue
Elgin, IL 60120
Phone: 888-508-1900
The Grand Victoria Casino is located on the Fox River in Elgin, IL. The facility has more than 1,000 slot and video poker games, 18 Blackjack tables, 3 Poker tables, 4 Craps tables and 4 Roulette tables. The casino is open all hours of the day except from 6:30 to 8:30 AM. The Grand Victoria Casino was voted as the “Best Casino” in the Chicago area in 2006 and 2007.
Of the three casino’s being reviewed, I like the Grand Victoria the best. The atmosphere is clean (for a casino) and the staff is friendly. They are a little overly strict on their security, however, and it seems that getting through the security takes a bit longer than should be necessary. There is free parking, but you can also just park along the Fox river which is convenient.
Argosy Empress Casino
2300 Empress Drive
Joliet, IL
Phone: 888-4-EMPRESS
Argosy’s Empress Casino is huge (more than 50,000 square feet.) They offer more than 1,100 slot and video poker machines. The also have 20 table games including Poker, Blackjack, Craps and Roulette. There is also a wonder grand ballroom and special event room with banquet service for groups of up to 300. The Empress was voted “Best Place to Gamble” nine separate years in the Star Newspaper.
Because of the size of this place it’s a little more comfortable than some other casinos. The atmosphere is friendly and the facility is well kept. If you want to play table games, I recommend going to the Grand Victoria, but if you want to play slots then the Empress is the best choice.
Par-A-Dice Casino
21 Blackjack Blvd
East Peoria, IL 61611-2010
Phone: 800-PAR-ADIC
Par-A-Dice Casino is a bit smaller than the other two reviewed here. Of course Par-A-Dice has all the usual table games as well as slots and video poker, but Par-A-Dice also tends to have a lot of special events like card tournaments. They also have many unique give aways. For example Par-A-Dice recently has had a $23,000 gas give away. There are frequently events and benefits for Seniors as well.
Although Par-A-Dice is a fine casino, it’s my least favorite of the three reviewed here. Frankly navigating around the area is a terrible headache and the surrounding neighborhood isn’t too great. However there is a beautiful view of Peoria’s skyline from the casino and motel at night. The times I visited Par-A-Dice there only really seemed to be two types of people there: Seniors and college students. Although there is nothing wrong with that, the gambling certainly isn’t as interesting as it is at the other casino’s I’ve visited.
Two final things to know. As of 2008 the Smoke Free Illinois Act prohibits smoking in all public venues which includes casinos. Second, many casinos in Illinois will not accept passports as identification from people under 25.
