Empress Casino

Location: Joliet
Year opened: 1992
Employees: 1,040
Visitors in 2005: 1.9 million
2005 total Illinois tax revenue generated: $87.2 million
2005 local share of tax revenue: $13.8 million

The local share of tax money from Empress Casino has funded:

• A decrease in property tax rates
  
• Abolishment of $25 vehicle sticker fee
  
• Joliet Splash Station water park
  
• A minor league baseball stadium in Joliet

Empress Casino's charitable donations to the community include:

• Monetary donation and host sponsor for the annual Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center for Will/Grundy counties.  Event held in the Empress Grand Ballroom each year.
  
• Long standing member of the Will County Center for Economic Development.
• Major sponsor for several Senior Services Center of Will County events.
  
• Casino Employee Helping Hand Food Drive Casino employees from across Illinois participated in this annual food drive. As a result of the casino employees' efforts over 56,000 non-perishable food items were collected for local food pantries

  "Because of the Empress Casino, our city has continued to grow and prosper. Each year there are 1,000 additional homes built in Joliet."
  -Joliet Mayor Arthur Schultz

For more information on the Empress Casino, visit www.argosycasinos.com.