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Several customers who have gambled at Joliet’s casinos have filed lawsuits against both that allege facial recognition technology was used at the establishments without their consent.

The lawsuits filed against Harrah’s Casino and Hollywood Casino claim the businesses violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, a 2008 state law that prohibits private entities from collecting people’s biometric data without consent.

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The lawsuit from Anthony Adams and Leon Martin against Harrah’s Casino on 151 N. Joliet St. claims the two are regular customers. Adams said he has gambled there “hundreds of times in the last five years.” The two men also claim to be members of the casino’s Caesars Rewards program and said the casino failed to inform them and other program members their biometric data was being collected.

“Although often regarded as an industry secret, news articles regarding Harrah’s Joliet’s use of facial recognition arose as early as 2002,” the men claim in the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, the men claim the casino’s facial recognition technology scanned their “facial geometry” from security camera footage and stored templates of their faces.

Ava Jackson’s lawsuit against Hollywood Casino at 777 Hollywood Blvd. claims she gambled at the casino about 30 times in the last three to five years and was a member of its rewards program.

Jackson claims Hollywood Casino failed to inform her and other rewards program members that the casino was using face-scanning technology to collect their biometric information.

Her lawsuit also alleges the casino never established how long customers’ biometric data would be retained or when it would be permanently destroyed.

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The Empress Casino in Joliet will change its name to Hollywood Casino Joliet on Dec. 22 and unveil its glitzy new art deco theme. The red-carpet glam replaces the Egyptian pharaohs and columns that had greeted guests since the casino opened in 1992.

The rebranding coincides with the reopening of the casino pavilion, which underwent a $65 million renovation after a fire in March 2009.

'Just like the anticipation surrounding a big Hollywood premiere, you can really feel the excitement among our guests and employees,' said Jon Johnson, Empress vice president and general manager.

The pavilion — which is separate from the casino floor — is filled with restaurants, a buffet and a gift shop. Among the new eateries in the pavilion is the Final Cut Steakhouse, which will have a piano bar and house Hollywood memorabilia such as a cashmere sweater worn by Marilyn Monroe, suits worn in the movie 'The Blues Brothers' and an evening gown worn by Elizabeth Taylor.

'It's sort of like eating in a Hollywood museum,' said Christ Nogulich, Empress food and beverage director.

The Empress, which is owned by Penn National Gaming, will have a look similar to other Penn casino properties sharing the Hollywood Casino name, including one in Aurora.

In 2009, the Empress was in the midst of renovating its pavilion when a fire broke out in the kitchen and quickly spread. The fire closed the casino for three months and destroyed the pavilion.

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Casino officials said they saw it as an opportunity to revamp their facilities. They also sought to boost attendance, which had seen an approximately 20 percent drop when Illinois banned smoking and about another 10 percent drop as a result of the economy, Johnson said.

Riverboat gaming revenues in Joliet, from both the Empress and Harrah's casino in the city's downtown, have dropped to their lowest levels, city documents show.

In the last three years, Joliet has seen about a 40 percent drop in gaming revenue, which at one time brought $35 million into the city's coffers, according to city documents. In 2010, revenues are projected by city officials to be less than in 2009, when the fire briefly closed the Empress. Joliet's take is estimated to dip another $6 million next year, city memos show.

At one time, the city was flush with gaming revenue and used it to support about 15 to 20 nonprofits in the area. The money also was used to build a $27 million baseball stadium, Silver Cross Field, and a $10 million water park. But the money has dried up, and city officials have been forced to use reserves to plug the hole in their $185 million 2011 budget.

'Now the money is just not there,' Councilman Warren Dorris said.

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Joliet's two casinos are not alone: a report last month indicated that gaming revenue statewide was the lowest in 10 years.

Johnson said the face-lift is the not the silver bullet that will restore attendance and revenues to their peak levels.

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'This is not really going to grow the market at this time,' Johnson said. 'But it's going to let us regain the customers we lost when we lost the pavilion.'

Some Empress casino customers have gotten sneak peeks because the path from the parking garage to the casino floor cuts through a construction site. When completed, the 50,000-square-foot pavilion will house the steakhouse and the Epic Buffet, which will seat 200 people and have a selection of food that includes a noodle bar, pizza and desserts.

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The Hollywood Stadium sports bar, which will open in February 2011, will seat 115 people and feature a massive 20-foot-by-80-foot TV wall that can show a sporting event on one big screen or nine different games. Then there will be a Rodeo Drive gift shop to complete the Hollywood experience.

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The casino has also hired almost 160 new employees since the fire, when about 100 employees were let go.