Overview
- Bally's notified the Chicago Community Builders Collective on Sunday that it is resetting construction pace and stopping work on the hotel, event center and some restaurants at the River West permanent casino site.
- The company says the city's 2026 decision to lift the ban on video gambling terminals would violate the Host Community Agreement and create economic uncertainty that could harm the casino's prospects.
- Bally's confirmed it has engaged outside counsel with ties to former mayor Lori Lightfoot and is weighing legal action while also seeking talks with the mayor's office and City Council.
- The firm said the target opening for the permanent casino remains early 2027, but the construction pause could affect roughly 1,500 union tradespeople and the timeline for non-core amenities.
- The River West project has faced earlier problems, including an $800 million funding gap and hotel design changes, and the new dispute over video gambling adds political and financial risk to the $1.7 billion development.