As Bally’s awaits their permanent casino in Chicago, they celebrated one year at their temporary location

On Monday, September 9, Bally’s Chicago celebrated its first anniversary. Since they opened their temporary Medinah Temple casino, they’ve seen 1.3 million visitors visit. The sportsbook knows there is more revenue to be had if they had a permanent location. Bally’s will patiently wait for their casino to be built. As of August 31, Bally’s generated more than $114 million in adjusted gross revenue receipts. Of the 15 casinos in Illinois, Bally’s Chicago ranked fourth for the most revenue in the first 12 months of operation. That data was provided by the Illinois Gaming Board. Additionally, Bally’s has generated $12.9 million in local taxes through the first 12 months of legal wagering. While this was a new source of revenue for the city, it was below their projected pace for the temporary casino. The top-grossing casino in Illinois is Rivers Casino Des Plaines with $520 million in revenue over the last 12 months. Rivers Casino Des Plaines also led the state with 3.1 million visitors as of August. Bally’s was second over that span with 1.3 million visitors.

What steps has Bally’s gone through to get to this point?

Bally’s has been working for years to get into the sports betting market in Illinois. In 2022, they won a heated competition to build Chicago’s first casino. It’s being built on the 30-acre Tribune Publishing printing plant site in River West. This massive $1.7 billion proposal includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants, and 4,000 gaming positions. When Bally’s permanent casino is fully up and running, it will be the largest casino in the state. In August, Bally’s began the ceremonial demolition of the Freedom Center to begin building their casino complex. Their Chicago casino is expected to open in September 2026. While their permanent casino is being built, Bally’s opened a temporary facility at Medinah Temple in River North. Their first day of operation was on September 9, 2023. They currently have 754 slot machines, 56 gambling tables, and an expansive blue-lit center bar with several restaurants. This year, Bally’s generated $84 million in adjusted gross receipts and $9.7 million in local tax revenue. However, they were projected to generate $243 million in adjusted gross receipts and $35 million in gaming taxes.