Horseshoe plans star-studded grand opening of new Hammond riverboat

BY PATRICK GUINANE, Times of Northwest Indiana
pguinane@nwitimes.com

HAMMOND | Horseshoe has set Aug. 8 to 10 as the grand opening weekend for its new Hammond casino, and the company will launch the $500 million riverboat with a cast of star-studded entertainment.

"That weekend is a huge grand opening, and they're going to be having some amazing talent that weekend," Horseshoe spokeswoman Lauren Boukas said Tuesday. She added that it was too soon to name potential acts.

Horseshoe originally set a September target for christening the new 350,000-square-foot floating casino, which has been under construction for nearly two years. Horseshoe General Manager Rick Mazer said the project was ahead of schedule in April, but the casino didn't reveal a grand opening date until Tuesday.

The news came with the announcement that Horseshoe has reached a deal with concert promoter AEG Live to book entertainment for the 3,200-capacity auditorium that will anchor the new Hammond riverboat. It has been dubbed The Venue.

"We are thrilled to introduce The Venue at Horseshoe Casino to the Chicago area and are confident that AEG Live will play a significant role in its success," Mazer said in a statement. "We look forward to working with AEG Live to bring top-level performers and full-scale shows to the new Horseshoe."

AEG Live has promoted concert tours for artists such as Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi, Hannah Montana, Prince and Paul McCartney. The company also operates venues in California, New York and Texas.

"The Venue at Horseshoe Casino provides us with the opportunity to align ourselves with the most dynamic new entertainment space in Chicago, along with the most forward-thinking casino entertainment company in the country," said Joe Litvag, AEG Live's senior Midwest vice president.

Horseshoe officials describe The Venue as a "fully flexible space" complete with retractable lower level seats that can convert capacity from a 2,500-seat theater performance to a 3,200-seat general admission concert. The auditorium will offer six VIP boxes and a salon area featuring couches, plasma television and bottle service.

The new riverboat also will more than double the size of Horseshoe's casino floor to 108,000 square feet, making room for more than three dozen more table games and 1,200 additional electronic gaming machines.