Overview
- Bally’s marked the final steel beam placement Thursday at its River West site, and the company now targets an early 2027 debut for the permanent casino.
- State law limits the temporary Medinah Temple casino to 36 months ending in early September, and a bill from Rep. Kam Buckner to allow up to one more year remains in House Rules ahead of a May 31 deadline.
- The Illinois Gaming Board is reviewing Bally’s use of a waste hauler tied to organized-crime allegations that led to a two-week work pause last year, and the agency has not said whether it will impose a fine.
- Chicago’s new video gambling program has drawn at least 231 applications, and Bally’s warns the citywide slot machines could siphon customers and prompt a rethink of its host community agreement.
- The $1.7–$1.8 billion complex is planned to include 3,400 slots, 173 table games, a 500-room hotel and a 3,000-seat venue, and the city hopes it will top $100 million a year after the temporary site generated $38.2 million in city taxes on $311.6 million in revenue.