Located about 20 minutes outside of downtown Chicago in Hammond, Indiana, the Horseshoe Casino unveiled a $500 million renovation in August. The sprawling new venue clocks in at 350,000 square feet, which—to put things in perspective—approximates the size of six side-by-side football fields.
Befitting a spot owned by Harrah's Entertainment, the casino flaunts no small measure of Vegas-style glitz. At each entryway, sculptures glitter with 120,000 crystals apiece, beneath eight-foot-wide crystal chandeliers. The grillwork of cashiers' cages is lined with real gold leaf, and hand-blown glass flowers adorn the high-limits table area.
The casino features some 97 game tables, more than 3,200 slots, a live keno area, and 300 video poker machines. The Asian Gaming Area, accented with Chinese rosewood, comprises a noodle bar and pai gow tables. Horseshoe's new poker room, billed as the largest in the Midwest, offers 34 tables and a private area called Benny's Back Room.
The property's 2,500-seat entertainment complex, called the Venue, was christened with an early-August Bette Midler concert and has since hosted the likes of comic Sarah Silverman and singer James Blunt. Six V.I.P. boxes, which have a total capacity of 178, each come equipped with couches, plasma TVs, and food and beverage service. The Venue can also host movie screenings and banquets for 1,500.
On-site dining options include the upscale Jack Binion's Steak House, Asian restaurant Fai Choi and the nine-station Village Square Buffet, where cuisine styles range from Italian to "Rio Grand."
