Yesterday, the Illinois Gaming Board’s members unanimously decided to give the nod to Danville Development LLC’s application and hand the company preliminary approval for a casino operation in the city. The decision has come as the next step in the effort of bringing a casino to Danville. The preliminary approval also means that the company will be allowed to start construction on the selected site.
According to reports, the groundbreaking of the project could take place in April 2022, with the construction set to take almost a year.
The state of Illinois’ gambling regulator found the casino project suitable after a public presentation demonstrated that the plans unveiled by Danville Development LLC are in line with all qualifications and preliminary requirements in order to receive the approval of the Illinois Gaming Control Board. Now, the Golden Nugget Danville casino is a bit closer to receiving a gaming license in the state.
The president of Danville Development LLC, James A. Wilmot, confirmed that the company received preliminary approval from the watchdog and described it as a significant step forward in the process of bringing a casino to the local community. Mr. Wilmot said that the Illinois Gaming Board had recognized the viability of the project and confirmed that all the major requirements had been met. He further noted that the company was looking forward to joining the local community.
The Construction of the Proposed Casino Could Take Approximately 11 Months
The gaming floor of the proposed casino, called Golden Nugget Danville, will be situated on 41,500 square feet and will feature 14 table games, 500 electronic gaming machines (slots), a sportsbook, and 2 restaurants. There will also be a total of 650 parking spaces. Furthermore, the casino venue will also use Golden Nugget Online Gaming to offer digital gaming and sports betting site. It is expected to create approximately 300 jobs.
Marcus Fruchter, an administrator of the Illinois Gaming Board, will be able to allow a final-practice gaming session and to make sure that a temporary casino operating license is issued so that the gambling facility starts operation. The state’s gambling regulatory body still acts on the final permit.
The process has taken several years after the gaming expansion in Illinois in 2019 included 6 new casino operating licenses for the state, with Danville being one of the cities set to host a gambling venue. A temporary casino started operation in Rockford in November, and a number of other cities across the state have seen ground broken for the projects or have already moved forward with their temporary casinos.
The Mayor of Danville, Rickey William Jr., described the issuance of suitability for the proposed Golden Nugget Danville Casino as a great thing for the city and Vermilion County. As he explained, the addition of the casino would bring millions of dollars in revenue for the city, but would also open hundreds of new jobs for local residents, would provide additional patronage of the local businesses and would eventually help improve people’s quality of life.
