Chicago City Council approves Bally’s casino plan

By a 41-7 vote, the Chicago City Council has approved the company’s plan for a $1.74bn casino and resort and now it heads to the Illinois Gaming Board for final approval.

US.- The Chicago City Council has approved Bally’s Corporation’s plan for a $1.74bn casino and resort located at the Tribune Publishing site in River West.

Chicago’s first casino is almost a done deal after City Council approved the plan by a 41-7 vote during the Wednesday meeting. This week, the city’s special casino committee approved the company’s plan in a 27-3 vote. Now it heads to the Illinois Gaming Board for final approval.

Bally’s plans to launch a temporary casino in the summer of 2023 and the permanent site in late 2025 or early 2026.

The proposed casino at the 30-acre Chicago Tribune Publishing Center at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Halstead Street would have 3,400 slots, 170 table games, 500 hotel rooms, six restaurants, three bars, a 3,000-seat theatre, an outdoor park, and other amenities.

The project is expected to create 3,000 construction jobs in addition to 3,000 permanent casino roles when fully functional. Bally’s will pay the city $40m up front plus annual payments of $4m.

In early May, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot confirmed that Bally’s Corporation had been selected to build and operate Chicago’s first casino. The announcement came only two days after Lightfoot denied reports that the city had chosen Bally’s proposal as the winning bid. The other finalists were Rush Street Gaming and Hard Rock.

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