(AsiaGameHub) –   Bally’s has placed the final structural beam at its permanent Chicago casino location, indicating that the $1.7 billion riverfront development is on schedule for an early 2027 debut.

The 30-acre project is currently under construction at the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center site, following earlier delays that significantly pushed back the initial 2025 opening target.

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Key Details

• The Bally’s Chicago casino is slated to open in early 2027.
• The development will feature 3,400 slot machines, 173 table games, and a 500-room hotel.
• An extension from the state may be required for the temporary Medinah Temple casino to continue operating beyond September.

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Revenue Expectations Face Deadline Pressures

Bally’s Corp chairman Soo Kim remarked that the final beam ceremony provided a new perspective on the project after months of challenges. He stated:

“It’s like the end of the beginning. To get here, we just had a lot of random delays. Now it just feels real good.”

The permanent casino is projected to create approximately 3,000 full-time jobs. The plans also encompass a 3,000-seat entertainment venue and various dining and drinking establishments, aiming to establish a significant casino resort along Chicago’s riverfront.

Mayor Brandon Johnson linked the project’s financial implications to the city’s budget. He commented:

“The casino, the hotel, entertainment venue, and restaurants are anticipated to generate more than $100 million in new revenue every year, which is going to make me and [Ald. Walter Redmond Burnett’s] job a little bit easier to pass budgets that are equitably maintained.”

However, Bally’s still requires legislative support in Springfield. According to current Illinois law, the company must cease operations at its temporary Medinah Temple casino in early September, three years after its opening. A proposed bill could grant Bally’s an additional year at the site if approved by lawmakers before the end of May.

Kim expressed optimism, saying:

“We’re not concerned. I think everyone knows it makes sense to do, so we’re confident that we’ll have good outcomes in Springfield.”

The temporary casino has generated $311.6 million in revenue to date, with $46.9 million remitted in state taxes and $38.2 million sent to the city. Nevertheless, these figures have fallen short of initial projections.

Construction has encountered obstacles beyond scheduling. Bally’s had to revise certain aspects of the design to safeguard water mains, secure $940 million in financing, and address a two-week work interruption stemming from a subcontractor’s use of a waste hauler with alleged ties to organized crime.

The competitive landscape may also intensify. Chicago has authorized the installation of video gambling terminals in bars and other establishments, with at least 231 venues submitting license applications.

Kim further added:

“A thousand people working on-site — I can’t believe how fast we’re building now. So we feel good that we’ll be open early next year.

“This is a game changer. There’s nothing like this in the Chicagoland area. There’s nothing like this for a long ways.”