It's expected to open next week on Gateway Boulevard, about 4 miles away from the old casino on the Des Plaines River.
While casinos still make the bulk of their profits from gaming, the trend is actually about much more than gambling.
In Joliet, they expect a number of restaurants by celebrity chefs to be a big draw.
Executive Chef Matt Cappellini showed off one of the specialties at the new ESPN BET Sportsbook restaurant. The objective is to draw customers to hang out for a while, place a few bets and have a good time. Food and beverage have become a big draw for casinos.
"It really is one of the big draws: food, beverage and entertainment. Casino gambling will always be part of that. But you cannot understate how important F and B has become in the operation," said Shawn McClain, with MC Hospitality.
The new Hollywood casino in Joliet is nearly 200,000 square feet of space.
It's a massive space compared with the casino on the water it replaces.
The boat closed a little more than a week ago in anticipation of the grand opening.
Both spaces have about the same-sized gaming floors, but the new land-based location features a huge room for entertainment, including everything from concerts to weddings.
"The feel here, you're not gonna want to leave. You don't have to be a gambler to be here to have fun," Vice President Ruben Warren said.
And if you are a foodie, you are in for a treat: from Sorellina by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, to Antique Tacos, to Asian by Red Lotus. Although, they are catering the menus to get people in and back out to the casino.
"That's what they're looking for: people to come and eat and go," said Joseph Ku, with Red Lotus.
Celebrity Chef Stephanie Izard has hot restaurants like Girl and the Goat, but this is her first venture in a casino. She says she likes the challenge of serving high-quality dishes on a tight time frame.
"Really if you look at it, the whole fun casino puns, it's a good chance to make a fast casual concept. Why wouldn't you want to eat this after a night of gambling?" Izard said.
The casino gets a trial run Thursday night with the gaming board.
If all goes well, they plan to have a grand opening to welcome customers on Monday.