Full House Resorts wins bid for Waukegan casino licence

The Illinois Gaming Board has chosen Full House Resorts’ proposal for a new Illinois casino.

US.- Full House Resorts has announced that its proposal for a new land-based casino in Waukegan, Illinois, has been selected by the Illinois Gaming Board following a selection process that opened in 2019. Its project is named American Place.

Full House will begin work immediately on the construction of a temporary casino in Waukegan, with the aim of opening in mid-2022. Subject to final licensing approvals, the permanent facility is planned to open in 2024.

American Place will feature a casino and sportsbook, as well as a boutique hotel comprising 20 luxury villas, a 1,500-seat live entertainment venue, a gourmet restaurant, additional eateries, bars and other amenities. The second phase is expected to include a four-star hotel with 150 rooms.

The board’s determination comes more than 2 and a half years after Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a gambling expansion bill containing a provision permitting a casino in Waukegan and five other locations.

Daniel R. Lee, president and CEO of Full House Resorts, said: “We thank the Illinois Gaming Board for their confidence in Full House Resorts and for selecting our American Place proposal. We will begin working immediately on American Place, first with the development and construction of a temporary casino in Waukegan, Illinois.”

Waukegan mayor Ann Taylor said: “The city believes the Illinois Gaming Board made the correct decision today by taking steps toward giving Full House the Waukegan casino license.

“We are looking forward to fruitful and forward-looking conversations with Full House to ensure that we have a responsible and transparent relationship with open lines of communication. “We want the casino to serve as an economic engine for the city, and we feel confident Full House is committed to this.”

American Place is expected to receive 2.5 million patrons and generate $255.5m in gross revenue in its first year of operations, according to Full House’s licence application. That would generate $22.2m in taxes fees and lease payments to the city of Waukegan. It would also generate $3.2m for the Lake County government, $2.1m for North Chicago and $1.4m for Park City under the revenue-sharing formula written into the state law.

Full House anticipates hiring about 1,150 full-time employees and more than 700 part-time workers, according to its application.

See also: Full House pushes for Waukegan casino