Editor
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) is allowing two of the state’s temporary casinos to keep their doors open well past their original deadlines. The IGB approved measures at its June 12 meeting to let Bally’s Casino and American Place in Waukegan continue operating at their interim sites while each operator continues building its permanent resort.
The action comes as the state’s Revenue Omnibus Bill awaits the signature of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. A separate board vote delegated authority to IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter after the governor signs the bill, which will allow the extension requests to come into effect.
The approvals give Bally’s Chicago Operating Company a 1-month extension for its temporary casino in Medinah Temple, up until September 9, 2027. FHR Illinois LLC, the Full House Resorts subsidiary operating American Place, received an extra 18 months, taking it up to February 17, 2029.
Bally’s Plagued by Construction Delays
There have been a series of extensions for both operators. When Bally’s opened at Medinah Temple in September 2023, Illinois allowed a new casino just 24 months at a temporary site, with an optional 12-month extension. Bally’s originally had a September 2026 deadline for completing its $1.7 billion integrated resort in River West, not the site of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant. Executives expressed confidence in this timeline, with the general manager telling the IGB that the project would stay on track even if it was a tough ask.
However, several delays meant that the project didn’t break ground until August 2024, with the company now planning on a 2027 opening date. The temporary operation also underperformed, generating about a quarter of expected revenue in 2023 and half in 2024. Things have started picking up.
The IGB’s casino summary covering January 2025 through May 2026 showed it took in about $180.7 million in total adjusted gross receipts over 516 operating days, which ranked fifth among the state’s 17 casinos. Only four established operations, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Wind Creek in the Chicago Southland, Hard Rock Rockford and Grand Victoria in Elgin, surpassed Medinah Temple.
Bally’s drew enormous foot traffic, logging almost 1.9 million admissions over the period, among the highest counts in the state. Over the 17-month window, Bally’s produced about $26.8 million in state gaming taxes and $21.9 million for the City of Chicago.
Bally’s still trails the lofty projections city officials once attached to the project. When the temporary casino opened, officials expected it to contribute up to $34 million annually to the city and about $200 million when the permanent casino opens. The city hopes the money will shore up police and firefighter pension funds.
American Place Bogged Down in Legal Action
American Place’s delays come mainly from litigation. The temporary American Place opened in February 2023, but a lawsuit from the Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin froze the permanent project. The tribe, which had been rejected as a bidder, argued that selection process had been rigged in Waukegan’s favor.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled against the tribe in January 2025. A federal appeals court came to the same conclusion weeks later, which allowed Full House to finally proceed. The company broke ground on the $300+ million project only this month.
The temporary American Place facility attracted 1.23 million admissions between January 2025 and May 2026, which was much lower than Bally’s, while still almost matching its revenue. Full House’s strategy targeted high rollers, leaning more on table games and electronic gaming devices to maximize revenue from each guest. American Place contributed more state taxes in the period, $30.5 million versus $26.8 million from Bally’s.
The latest extensions now buy time for Chicago and Waukegan, but also prolong the wait for the permanent resorts meant to drive each city’s gambling ambitions.
