Bally’s Chicago will soon expand to a 24/7 operation, allowing it to capitalize on the growing demand for gambling in the USA. The property successfully received the approval needed to expand its operation by 4 more hours and will service clients all day long starting December 27.

Bally’s Chicago was previously limited to only operating for 20 hours a day. The Illinois Gaming Board greenlit the schedule expansion on December 6, effectively allowing Bally’s to tap into the growing visitation it experiences.

Bally’s will reflect its new nonstop work hours by also transitioning Wabash Café’s dining service to a 24/7 operation schedule.

Mark Wong, Bally’s Chicago’s vice president and general manager, commented on the matter, highlighting the importance of keeping the property’s doors open 24/7. He explained that this will allow the company to achieve its targets and reflect the success of other Bally’s properties across the US.

This is a progression toward attaining the goals we set out to achieve and gives us similar hours to other local casino properties.

Mark Wong, VP & GM, Bally’s Chicago

In addition to expanding its work hours, the property will now also offer discounted parking and shuttle discounts to its clients.

Bally’s Is Constructing a Huge Casino in the City

The 24/7 operation expansion sets Bally’s casino in Chicago up for further success. The move is in line with the company’s overall strategy and reflects other casino companies’ business philosophies.

Bally’s is currently operating a temporary property in Chicago as it awaits the construction of its permanent Rhode Island venue. The company was granted one of the state’s six new casino licenses last year, allowing it to develop a $1.74 billion property.

The permanent Bally’s Chicago is set to be located at the Freedom Center printing plant site. Bally’s hopes to get the casino running by the end of 2026.

However, Bally’s was recently investigated over its Chicago license as unsuccessful bidders triggered a federal inquiry. The development followed earlier controversies involving the company and concerns about the implications of Bally’s Chicago property and its potential effect on public health.

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Bally’s, the Rhode Island-based gambling company, finds itself in the crosshairs of federal and local authorities over the acquisition of the highly sought-after Chicago casino license. The processes leading to Bally’s securing the license have triggered simultaneous investigations by both the US attorney’s office and Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg.

Unsuccessful Bidders Trigger Federal Inquiry into Chicago Casino License

The federal inquiry, reportedly prompted by complaints from unsuccessful bidders in the casino licensing process, has thrust the matter into the spotlight, reported real estate news outlet The Real Deal. 

Alderman Brian Hopkins, known for his consistent criticism of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot‘s management of the casino proceedings, confirmed the existence of the federal investigation. The US attorney’s office, however, has remained tight-lipped on the matter.

Concurrently, Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg is conducting a parallel investigation, adhering to her office’s policy of not commenting on ongoing inquiries. 

Bally’s maintains that it is unaware of any investigation, and the city’s Law Department has clarified that neither they nor the mayor’s office have been subpoenaed or requested to provide information.

The investigations, according to sources, were initiated months ago, suggesting a prolonged and comprehensive examination of the casino licensing process. 

This development follows earlier controversies surrounding Bally’s, including alterations to financial deals with minority investors and discrepancies in fees charged to different bidders. Reports also highlighted potential conflicts of interest with city consultants evaluating financial prospects.

City Council Greenlighted Bally’s Casino Amidst Controversies and High Hopes

Despite these controversies, Bally’s secured City Council approval with a decisive 39-5 vote. The $1.7 billion project is anticipated to alleviate the city’s unfunded public employee pension liabilities. Bally’s opened a temporary casino in September at the former Medinah Temple, with construction on the permanent site expected to commence soon, aiming for an opening in late 2026.

The casino project, viewed by some city leaders as a potential financial savior, has been on Chicago’s agenda for decades, gaining serious traction only in 2020. 

Representing the area designated for the casino, 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett praised the accomplishment, expressing that it was significant. He remarked that it had been a pursuit spanning three administrations and emphasized that the current mayor had successfully achieved it.

At the same time, the opening of Bally’s casino in Chicago stirred concerns among addiction treatment experts who anticipate a rise in individuals seeking help for gambling disorders. Although there hasn’t been an immediate surge in cases, experts warn that the expansion of gaming facilities historically correlates with an increase in people seeking treatment for gambling problems. 

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A lucky Chicago person has won $1.2 million after matching all five Lucky Day Lotto numbers. As of the time of this writing, the player has yet to claim their prize.

The winning ticket was sold at a Jewel Osco store in the Lake View community area on October 27. The player in question correctly guessed the winning combination, which was as follows: 14-15-24-25-34.

The store which sold the winning ticket is set to receive a $12,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. The bonus represents 1% of the total amount of the jackpot. The winner, meanwhile, has a year from the date of the draw to collect the prize.

The lottery advised the winner to keep the ticket safe until he redeems it. Officials also advised them to write their name on the back of the ticket just in case.

For reference, the jackpot winner isn’t the only lottery player to return home richer. According to official statistics, a total of 50,000 players in the state have drawn a winning ticket. In total, the lottery will hand more than $1.3 million in prizes.

The winner was congratulated by Rush Street Interactive’s president, Richard Schwartz, who said that her win shows that online gambling allows players to achieve life-changing victories no matter the time or place.

In other news, a player from New Jersey just turned a $2 online bet into a $290,000 payday. The lucky woman was playing Divine Fortune on SugarHouse Online Casino’s online platform during an online conference when she struck the prize and almost screamed mid-call.

The New Powerball Jackpot Continues to Grow

In the meantime, America braces for the upcoming Powerball draw, which will provide players with a shot at a staggering $152 million prize. The Powerball jackpot has been ramping up for several weeks now, tempting more and more players with its size.

In October, a Californian player won the previous Powerball jackpot, which had reached $1.765 billion. This was notably the largest jackpot in the history of the game. However, this led some players to question the legitimacy of the game.

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Bally’s Chicago Casino, housed within the historic Medinah Temple, has made an impressive debut in the city’s bustling River North neighborhood. Despite being in operation for just three weeks, the casino attracted over 80,000 visitors and generated approximately $6.7 million in revenue, according to data released by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Bally’s Chicago Emerges as State’s Second-Busiest Casino

The figures, while promising, place Bally’s Chicago as the second-busiest casino in the state, trailing behind Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, which reported a substantial $41.5 million in revenue for September. However, Bally’s revenue places it in the middle of the pack among the state’s 15 casinos, showcasing a strong potential for growth.

Bally’s Chicago, which opened its doors on September 9, transformed the historic Medinah Temple into a vibrant gambling venue, featuring 800 slot machines, 56 gaming tables, a central bar, two restaurants, and a coffee shop. The casino’s soft launch was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other city officials.

Soo Kim, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Bally’s Corporation, expressed optimism about the casino’s future despite the initial challenges faced during the early phase of operation in a statement for The Chicago Tribune. He stated that it was early days and they were still in the phase where they were working out the kinks, acknowledging the “whispered offering” and traffic disruptions downtown as challenges during the casino’s first month.

One of the notable aspects of Bally’s Chicago’s opening was the unexpectedly younger crowd at the table games, indicating a shift in the demographic compared to other Bally’s properties. Soo Kim expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to introduce gaming to downtown Chicago, aiming to change the perception of the area as a viable location for such entertainment.

Bally’s Chicago Temporary Casino Soars, Promising Lucrative Future Returns

The temporary casino, operational until 2026, aims to generate between $15 million and $25 million in earnings this year, according to projections. In September alone, Bally’s Chicago contributed approximately $868,000 in state taxes and $695,000 in local taxes, with the city expecting nearly $70 million in total revenue from the casino in 2023, including a one-time $40 million upfront payment from Bally’s.

Looking ahead, Bally’s Chicago has ambitious plans for the future. The Rhode Island-based company won a competitive bid last year and intends to build a $1.74 billion permanent casino at the site of Tribune Publishing’s Freedom Center printing plant in River West by 2026. Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed confidence in Bally’s ability to meet its long-term projections, envisioning an annual tax revenue of $50 million from the Medinah location and $200 million per year from the permanent site.

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Bally’s Corporation, the global casino-entertainment company, confirmed Thursday it secured a major approval for its Bally’s Chicago Casino project. The company revealed that the project was greenlighted by the Chicago Department of Planning and Urban Development earlier this week.

This approval marked a milestone moment for the project as Bally’s now solidifies its plans to start the construction of the new gaming, leisure and entertainment location. The ambitious project has a price tag of $1.7 billion. It is expected to create some 3,000 permanent jobs for the city, which is a testament to the scale of Bally’s Chicago Casino and the different amenities it will offer.

“Inspired by the city’s interplay—grit and grandeur, structure and the organic, historically-charged and cutting-edge—the design of Bally’s Chicago creates a sense of wonder and adventure accessible to everyone.“

Joyen Vakil, senior vice president of design and development at Bally’s Corporation

Joyen Vakil, Bally’s senior vice president of design and development, spoke about the inspiration for the design of Bally’s Chicago Casino. He acknowledged that the city helped inspire the project that brings a unique sense of adventure and wonder.

Additionally, Vakil noted that the billion-dollar project fuses “nature and wellness through the addition of numerous public plazas and parks.” According to him, the design of the new destination will help deliver unique experiences for the visitors. Finally, Vakil acknowledged that the efforts of contractors and businesses within the project will help “bring to life this one-of-a-kind urban space.”

“The unique and exciting design celebrates Chicago’s motto, urbs in horto – city in a garden – and creates a dynamic public realm on site,“

added Vakil

Bally’s Chicago Casino to Deliver Plenty of Amenities

The billion-dollar destination casino is planned to use a 30-acre on the Chicago Tribune Publishing Center. The unique project is expected to bring significant economic stimulus for the city and the region, resulting in a boost in tourism and visitation. Bally’s Chicago Casino is planned to include food halls, restaurants, as well as a theater and event space.

In addition to the casino, there will be plenty of other non-gambling entertainment options such as a museum and exhibition area. It’s no surprise that a project of such scale will feature luxury hotel rooms, as well as outdoor community park spaces. Those green spaces can be used for different activities such as farmers’ markets and art fairs.

Many Chicago-based, as well as minority-owned businesses will participate in the development of Bally’s billion-dollar project. The construction of the mixed-use entertainment and casino location is expected to start late in 2024.

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In mid-February, PENN Entertainment announced it finished the acquisition of Barstool Sports, Inc. after previously acquiring a 36% stake in the company three years ago. The remaining interest in the media brand specialized in sports, entertainment, and lifestyle was acquired for around $388 million.

Now, Barstool Sports has announced it leased a new office space in Chicago, this way marking its second launch in the third-largest city in the US.

While other corporations are leaving the city scared by the high crime rate, the company founded in the suburban parts of Boston decided to go forward and open a second office measuring 400,000 square feet.

The New Location to Host a Full-Size Basketball Court & a Golf Simulator

Located west of the Chicago Loop at 400 N. Noble St. nearby Fulton Market, the industrial building purchased by Jeff Shapack and Alec Litowitz will host a full-size basketball court along with a golf simulator, several music studios, and additional spaces that will be used for media creation of media content.

The new location will also be near a plethora of office and large apartment building projects that are currently under construction.

Barstool Sports’ spokesperson Debra Duffy announced that the company’s employees will swap their New York offices with the brand new Chicago office.

While these amenities are usually found with most offices belonging to gaming companies, they have gradually started to be eliminated across a number of different other industries in the context of certain corporations trying to cut their expenses to get ready for a potential upcoming recession.

Rampant Crime in Chicago Scaring Off Big Players

As mentioned earlier, the decision to open a second office also came in the context of big corporations fleeing the city because of the rampant crime rates.

The list includes prestigious names like Boeing, Tyson Foods, and Caterpillar. They all decided to relocate to different states or different parts of Illinois because of the growing crime, even though Boeing did not specifically use the city’s crime as a primary argument for the decision to relocate to Northern Virginia.

Located on the outskirts of Chicago, McDonald’s also expressed concerns regarding the criminal activity in the area, even though there are no palpable plans to move out of the city or out of state.

In 2022, American billionaire, hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and founder, CEO, co-CIO, and 80% owner of Citadel LLC Ken Griffin announced he would be taking his $57 billion hedge fund to Miami, again using Chicago’s crime and budget woes as a main reason.

PENN Entertainment currently operates four separate casinos in Illinois while Barstool Sportsbook also provides mobile sports betting services in the Prairie State.

Barstool Sports’ first office in the Windy City is found in the Lakeview area where it hosts a sports bar in the River North.

Last November, Barstool Sportsbook went live in Maryland, allowing customers in the state to place wagers on top global sports leagues.

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Bally’s, the multinational casino entertainment company, has cleared a major regulatory hurdle towards the realisation of its plans to build a $1.7 billion flagship casino and entertainment complex in River West, Chicago. On Wednesday, the corporation received final approval from the Chicago City Council through a majority vote of the city’s Aldermen. Bally’s now awaits approval of its casino license from the Illinois Gaming Board.

The city’s Aldermen voted 39-5 to give the go-ahead for an amendment to Planned Development No. 1426, which authorized the zoning for the project’s construction. With this approval, Bally’s is on its way to building Chicago’s first casino, which will be located at the Chicago Tribune Freedom Centre along the Chicago River and near the intersection between Halsted Street and Chicago Avenue.

The first phase of the project includes one million square-feet casinos, a hotel with 500 rooms, a 3,000-seater event center, retail space and a large public park. Future phases will feature 4,800 apartments and condos, retail space, 250 hotel rooms and multiple dining options. The casino will have 3,400 slot machines, 170 table games and several designated spaces for eating and drinking. The project is expected to create up to 3,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs for residents of Windy City.

In a press release, Bally’s Chairman, Soo Kim, with enthusiasm noted: “This is a significant achievement and another critical step forward in the process of developing Bally’s Chicago.” “We are confident that the casino will bring numerous long-term, positive economic benefits, including good-paying, union jobs, to this great city.”

The final vote from the City Council was preceded by a recommendation for approval by the Plan Commission and Committee on Zoning earlier in the week. At the time of the vote, many of the Aldermen expressed support for the project with Ald. Walter Burnett called it a “a big deal.” Nonetheless, criticism still came from some quarters who believed the mayor rushed the selection process during the casino bids. Others criticised the location of the proposed casino as adding to the congested traffic in the area.

Bringing a casino to Chicago is a major priority for Mayor Lori Lightfoot, especially as the city envisions the casino ultimately generating $200 million annually for the city. The tax revenue will be used to fund the city’s struggling police and fire pension systems, amongst other needs of the city.

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