Poker Writer
“American Place Casino” will get its permanent home in the Chicago area after over three years in a temporary location, putting it back on the map in the competitive Chicago market. The permanent new facility broke ground on Wednesday in Waukegan, Ill., about 42 miles north of downtown Chicago.
The new facility is twice as large and more lavish than the temporary facility the casino has been operating from since February 2023. The projected timeline for the new location is completion by mid-2028.
Permanent Facility Big Upgrade Over Temporary
The website promotes it as “The Permanent”. It also promotes the idea that the new permanent casino will be a catalyst for boosting the Fountain Square area of Waukegan. The entire shopping and entertainment area, designed to mimic the look of an Italian countryside villa, will be transformed by the casino. It will be a significant aesthetic improvement over the current temporary location, which features a large “temporary” sign at the front.
The casino will be accompanied by an entirely revamped entertainment area. It will include, upscale restaurants, Mansion Hotel and entertainment venues. Fountain Square is also only 4 miles away from Six Flags Great America to make the location even more appealing.
The permanent facility will provide guests far more gaming options. It will have 40% more slot machines, going from 1,000 to 1,640 and really step up its investment in table games, doubling the amount from 50 to 100.
Even though the current facility is temporary, some patrons speak positively of their experiences at the temporary location saying it has a “really great feel to it”.
Poker at American Place Casino
Currently, American Place Casino has a poker room with six cash tables and featured weekly tournaments on Thursdays throughout May. The casino does not make any mention of a poker room upgrade in the new facility, so the poker room may be left behind in terms of upgrades compared to the rest of the casino and facility.
Poker in the Chicago area is very competitive, with 14 other casinos offering tables. American Place Casino gets lost in the shuffle a bit, with almost all of the other casinos in the area having more tables.
Timeline Extended By Previous Lawsuit
The permanent home will finally be ready to open by mid-2028, according to the current plans. This is later than what the casino owner, “Full House Resorts,” hoped for, as the open date has been pushed back more than once. August 2027 was the most recent opening target date, which was already a delayed opening and the current timeline is a full year later than that.
Construction of the permanent facility was delayed in August 2023 following a lawsuit filed by the Forest County Potawatomi Community in Wisconsin. The tribe claimed it did not have a fair opportunity to bid on the Waukegan casino, claiming a rigged process. The Illinois Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in January 2025 to open the pathway for the construction of the permanent facility.
