After a soft opening and only three weeks of operation, Bally’s Chicago has managed to become the second-busiest casino in Illinois, the state’s gambling regulator claims in a September data released a few days ago. The venue’s revenue, however, still has to catch the one generated by the casinos that have been operating here for a longer period.
As revealed by the Illinois Gaming Board, the Bally’s Medinah Temple temporary facility in Chicago was visited by over 80,000 people during its first month of operation – a result that surpassed every other venue but Des Plaines-based Rivers Casino that has managed to establish itself as the busiest casino with the largest revenue in the state.
Bally’s Chicago casino opened its doors on September 9th. Over its first month of operation, the venue generated adjusted gross receipts of almost $6.7 million – a result that cemented its position in the middle of the revenue pack among the 15 casinos which currently operate in Illinois.
The overall casino revenue of the state rose by $7.7 million in September, with the adjusted gross receipts of the 15 casinos totaling $132.1 million. As confirmed by the Illinois gambling watchdog, Rivers Casino generated the largest adjusted gross winnings in September ($41.5 million), followed by Elgin-based Grand Victoria ($12.4 million) and Harrah’s Joliet casino (almost $11 million).
Bally’s Chicago Generates almost $6.7 Million in Adjusted Gross Receipts Since Opening
The Chairman of Bally’s casino in Chicago, Soo Kim, shared that the first few weeks of operation were encouraging, especially considering the relatively large number of younger-than-expected table game players. The casino’s Chair further noted that the casino’s performance during its first month of operation faced some challenges due to “whispered offering” and downtown traffic disruptions.
The Chicago casino of Bally’s is expected to generate annual adjusted gross receipts of $805.6 million by 2028. That is likely to create an annual revenue of almost $246 million for the city by the sixth year of the casino’s operation, assuming that the permanent venue opens in line with the 2026 schedule. The temporary casino, which was supposed to open in June but the start of operation was delayed by a couple of months, was projected to generate adjusted gross receipts of over $100 million in 2023.
As CasinoGamesPro previously reported, in 2022, Bally’s emerged as the preferred winner in a heated competition with its project to build a $1.74-billion casino at the site of Tribune Publishing’s River West printing plant. The permanent casino location is planned to start operation in 2026.
While the permanent facility of the casino company is being under construction, Bally’s temporary casino is set to be hosted by the iconic Medinah Temple – a River North-situated amphitheater that was renovated by the company to house 56 gaming tables and almost 800 slot machines, a coffee shop, two restaurants, and a center bar. According to the venue’s Chair, making everyone understand that Bally’s Chicago was already operational, was a matter of paramount priority, not to mention that was a huge opportunity to bring gaming to downtown.
