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Bally’s delays River West casino opening, seeks more time at temporary site
Bally’s is pushing back the opening of its new casino in River West as construction delays continue.
CHICAGO - Bally’s is pushing back the opening of its new casino in River West as construction delays continue.
What we know:
The casino was originally expected to open this fall, but the project has already faced multiple delays. With those delays, Bally’s is now requesting more time to operate at its temporary location in River North.
Bally’s has been operating out of the Medinah Temple since September 2023. The city initially expected Bally’s to remain there for three years, but that timeline could now extend well into next year.
State Rep. Kam Buckner filed a bill last Thursday that would extend Bally’s temporary license for possibly another year. That extension could keep Bally’s operating in River North until September 2027.
There have already been two construction delays — one in May and another in December 2024 — both of which pushed the project back by several weeks.
What they're saying:
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) did not mince words at City Hall on Wednesday. He said he believes the temporary and permanent casino projects were a mistake and raised concerns about the latest delay.
"I have to hope I’m wrong, and they can power through this," Hopkins said. "They tell me the construction is only slightly delayed. I don’t know exactly what that means. They’re doing interior work now, so it’s not visual to the external eye. I don’t have a lot of confidence that they will open on time, but they’re saying they think they can. They’re also saying they have additional capital that they’re going to infuse, even though they’re struggling elsewhere."
Public safety issues have also been reported at the temporary casino location, including fights on the casino floor, an assault and robbery in a bathroom, and an armed robbery across the street in a parking garage used by the casino.
The other side:
FOX Chicago has reached out to Bally’s for comment on the bill and the construction timeline for the permanent casino, but has not yet heard back.
The Source: Details for this story were provided by FOX Chicago reporter Bret Buganski, who conducted interviews with state and local officials.