 In January 1990 , the Illinois legislature passed two bills that permitted gambling along the Mississippi , Illinois , and Des Plaines Rivers. but gambling did not commence in Joliet until June 17 , 1992 . In January 1993 Schultz described Joliet as " the riverboat @-@ gambling capital of the world " . In 1995 Joliet officials expected the town to be debt free by 2001 with Schultz described the sizable gambling industry revenues as " manna from Heaven " and encouraged other cities to try legalized gambling . Between 1993 and 1997 Schultz received US $ 1 @,@ 500 in gambling @-@ related political contributions . 
