Big Happenings at Harrah's East Chicago

Continuing through March of this year, there's a $27 million renovation in progress at Harrah's East Chicago Hotel & Casino that will transform the already spacious and comfortable vessel into an even more pleasurable gambling experience.

If you've been to the property recently, you probably have already observed some of the upgrades. The redesign and redecorating of all four decks has included some reconfiguring of the slot machine and table game layouts into a much more guest friendly, spacious floor plan. A redesign of the cage and cashier stations is also in the works.

Even the ceilings, flooring, carpeting, light fixtures, wall coverings and signage will be replaced with new décor and a brighter design, giving the casino proper its first fresh feel and look since it opened as the Showboat Mardi Gras Casino under different ownership back in 1996. Harrah's took over ownership late in 1997.

"We are very excited about the renovations," said Joe Domenico, general manager and senior vice president of Harrah's East Chicago. "Our goal with the renovation is to provide the best service and a world-class gaming experience for our customers. These renovations are an extension of our commitment to invest in the future of East Chicago."

There are also some welcome enhancements to the vessel's food and beverage service. A 22-seat interactive flair bar is being constructed on the third level along with a 50-seat diner-style restaurant, which will make Harrah's East Chicago the market's leader in on-board amenities.

Perhaps the top improvement for slot players will be the addition of 1,100 "Fast Cash" equipped machines. This cashless, coin-less technology gives guests the convenience of being issued a ticket voucher compatible with any similarly equipped machine, thereby eliminating the need for buckets and coin counting.

In an effort to attract a younger crowd to the table games area, a "Party Pit" is planned for a portion of the third level. I saw this feature in operation at Harrah's Las Vegas and also at Harrah's Joliet a number of years ago. I can tell you from a serious player's standpoint it's not to my liking. The informal atmosphere, talkative dealers, balloons, bells and whistles are designed to appeal to a young crowd of inexperienced table games players.