Illinois Gaming Board grants Bally’s permanent casino license

The Illinois Gaming Board has approved Bally’s permanent owners license as the final step of review before Bally’s Corporation can begin construction and operate the $1.7 billion permanent casino redevelopment in River West. 

As the first urban casino, the entertainment complex will include the casino space with 3,400 slots and 173 table games, 10 food and beverage venues, a 3,000-seat theater and event space, a 20,000 square foot exhibition and museum venue, and a 500-key hotel tower at the north end of the site. The complex’s interior spaces will be complemented with more than 10 acres of outdoor space that include a park for the community with various outdoor programming planned for the site.

The project’s ownership team includes Bally’s Corporation and minority-ownership Community Investment Programs. Architects Solomon Cordwell Buenz are leading the masterplan in collaboration with V3 Companies, Gensler, and Site Design Group. Gensler has taken over the architecture of the entire complex, except for the hotel tower which Solomon Cordwell Buenz will be the architect for. Site Design Group will be the landscape architect, SOSH Architects will lead the casino’s interior design, STL Architects will lead the theater interior design, and local firms UrbanWorks and Nia Architects are working as associated architects. 

The Illinois Gaming Board also approved an extension of Bally’s temporary operating license at Medinah Temple for a maximum of three years, allowing the facility to remain open until September 9th, 2026. According to Alderman Reilly’s office, they confirmed that Bally’s lease at Medinah Temple expires in 2026 and no extensions would be allowed by the landlord or the IGB.

Bally’s temporary casino at Medinah Temple officially opened back on September 9th and will be open 8:00am - 5:00 am seven days a week, with plans to extend hours to a full 24 hours. The temporary casino will offer patrons 750 slot machines, 55 table games, two restaurants, and a cafe.  

With approvals in line for Bally's permanent casino, construction is expected to begin after July 2024 when they take over the site of the Chicago Tribune printing plant. This timeline will give them just about two years to construct the permanent facility before their operating license expires at Medinah Temple in September 2026.