The Joliet Police Department continues to seek information following a bomb threat on Saturday night that forced the evacuation of Hollywood Casino Joliet.
At 10:18 p.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a call from an unidentified male who claimed that there were multiple bombs at the Chicago-area casino. The caller also threatened to detonate the bombs remotely.
Both the IL casino floor and hotel were cleared out by authorities and staff. As guests exited the building, officers from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office brought in a bomb-sniffing dog.
The casino has reopened and hotel guests returned on Saturday night.
The Joliet Police Department issued a statement regarding the threat and evacuation on Sunday.
After a thorough search of both buildings, the area was declared safe. Hotel guests were then permitted to return to their rooms, but as a precaution, the casino remained closed overnight.
The Joliet PD press release designates Sgt. Dwayne English as the point of contact regarding the incident. Play Illinois left a message with him to inquire about the number of individuals who were required to vacate the premises on Saturday night.
At the moment, we have a general understanding of the capacity at the Hollywood Casino Joliet.
- The venue has accommodations for 100 hotel rooms and an RV parking area with 80 spaces.
- The casino personnel and officials cleared out patrons from the 50,000-square-foot gaming area, where players can enjoy table games, video poker, and over 1,100 video slot machines.
Bomb threat unfounded, but Joliet PD needs more help
The building was searched for explosives with assistance from the Kane County Sheriff’s Officers, Joliet Fire Department, and DuPage County K-9 unit.
The Joliet Police Department requires additional assistance as they classify the bomb threat as “an ongoing investigation in its initial phases.”
Choose one of the following options to aid in the investigation:
- Contact the Investigation Unit of the Joliet Police Department at 815-724-3020.
- If tipsters wish to remain anonymous, they can reach out to Will County Crime Stoppers by calling 800-323-6734 or submitting tips about a casino bomb threat on their website.
- Crime Stoppers provides rewards of up to $5,000 for tips that result in an arrest. The tip line guarantees anonymity as it does not have caller ID. Informants can also send a text with the code “willcocs” to 274637.
