River West
The project would transform a 114,000 square-foot commercial building at 700 W. Chicago Ave. into a complex for everything from multiple haunted houses and thrill-packed rides to “sinister scare zones” and “scare actors on the prowl.”
Medinah casino is hampered by lack of amenities and on-site parking, city’s chief financial officer said.
Shares bought by women and minority investors are expected to help cover $250 million in financing Bally’s permanent casino at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, slated to open in 2026.
Joseph Guardia, 30, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder as part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid a trial, which was scheduled to begin on Thursday. When he was arrested in 2022, Guardia gave no explanation for his motive besides “being an angry person.”
Bally’s Chicago casino enters 2nd year on the rise, but behind projections in loaded Illinois market
State revenue analysts remain bullish on the future Chicago casino’s prospects, but it’s not clear just how big the windfall could be in a state with 15 other casinos and a litany of other gambling options.
Bally’s chairman Soo Kim said his hedge fund’s $4.6 billion merger deal to buy out shareholders is “an indicator of how optimistic we are” about the revenue potential for the massive casino being built at 777 W. Chicago Ave.
As CEO of Gaming USA Corp. and editor of the Gaming Industry Daily Report, Alan Woinski has watched Detroit and New Orleans struggle to complete their ambitious casino projects. The financial hurdles for Bally’s in Chicago are infinitely worse, he says.
“I think that one’s still to be determined, to be perfectly frank with you,” Mayor Brandon Johnson told the Sun-Times Editorial Board Monday, referring to Bally’s plan for a $1.7 billion permanent casino along the Chicago River.
Five hundred swimmers will participate in the first organized swim event, which will raise funds for ALS research and swim programs for at-risk youth.
Bally’s and the city still haven’t determined where a massive 400-room hotel tower could go in the second phase of construction, after its initial site was ruled out due to the risk of damaging city water pipes.
Bally’s now has until Sept. 9, 2026, to complete its 505,000-square-foot permanent casino complex in River West.
Bally’s executives initially aimed for a mid-August opening at the Medinah Temple. The corporation still needs the final green light from state gambling regulators.
The massive snapping turtle, estimated to weigh about 35 pounds, went viral after being spotted sunbathing on a rusted metal chain in the Chicago River last month.
Among them: the family of the woman chairing the mayor’s reelection campaign fund, contractors who are Lightfoot financial backers and two clout-heavy real estate investors whose children attended the elementary school where Lightfoot’s daughter was a student.
Chicago’s 30-year quest for a casino is now in the hands of the Illinois Gaming Board.
Bally’s casino is set to temporarily occupy the historic Medinah Temple, 600 N. Wabash Ave., before moving to its permanent riverfront location on Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.
Ald. Brendan Reilly has led opposition against Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan for a temporary gambling house in his ward, and he’s skeptical of the traffic study, which was commissioned by Bally’s.
