Bally’s Temporary Casino Opens in Chicago

By Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 09/20/2023

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We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.

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Bally’s Temporary Casino

In 2019, Bally’s won the race to open a casino in Chicago, beating three other bidders to land the lucrative contract. Now, four years later, the city finally has its first casino in its 190-year history, as Bally’s has opened its doors on N. Wabash Avenue in Medinah Temple.

But the casino is not the finished article. Instead, it is a temporary venue, which Bally’s plans to have open for around three years, until the permanent casino, which will be built on the site of the Chicago Tribune printing plant in River West, is constructed.

Despite the fact that the venue is only temporary, it is still gigantic, spread over three floors. Visitors can enjoy playing nearly 800 slots, plus there are 56 table games. There are also two bars, which proved very popular on the opening day. The venue has a maximum capacity of 3,200 people, and while busy on the opening day, it didn’t come close to hitting this figure.

As expected, the opening day was full of action, as gamblers from the Windy City embraced the new attraction, arriving in their droves to try their luck on the slots and table games. Some even queued from 6:30 am – 90 minutes before the doors opened – such was their excitement to get into the venue.

And the overall feeling from visitors was a positive one. Martin Arzate, a local, summed up his thoughts by saying:

Everything looks great. It smells good, it feels good, everyone working is nice. And it doesn’t smell like cigarettes, so that’s always good.

He also waved off fears of public safety, which some had been concerned about before the opening, by stated that there are bars and clubs everywhere, which is “the same thing.”

City Set to Earn Millions Via Taxation

It’s no secret that city officials are hoping to make significant money from the new property via taxation. In fact, there are hopes that the venue will pay around $50 million per year in taxes, which would be used to rescue the police and firefighter pension funds, both of which are now nearly insolvent.

The plan to help the city’s finances via gambling taxation has gone down well with many, although there are some who have voiced concerns over the money that increasing levels of gambling addiction could cost.

Another major concern for many was traffic, with many thinking that the popular new attraction would cause near gridlock in the suburb. But this didn’t happen on the first day of opening, with traffic moving easily in the immediate vicinity.

Public Safety Concerns

Opponents of the new casino often cited fears over increased crime in the area – a common argument used by casino opponents throughout the country.

And for a brief period on September 11, there were fears that the venue had already contributed towards a serious crime, after a man was shot near the casino. He was taken to hospital and survived.

But Bally’s were quick to issue a statement saying they’re confident that the shooting had nothing to do with their venue. They went on to state that they have high security standards and properly monitor the area around the casino.