Bally’s Applies For An Illinois Sportsbook License

Bally’s, which plans to open a casino in Chicago in the next few years, recently submitted an application to introduce its mobile betting app to Illinois, also known as the Land of Lincoln.

On September 12, Bally’s submitted an application to the Illinois Gaming Board for a Management Services Provider license. This marks the initial phase in the extensive process that gaming operators must go through to establish a sportsbook in Illinois.

At present, the Prairie State hosts just seven mobile sportsbooks. However, with the opening of the American Place Casino in Waukegan, Circa Sports is set to be the eighth as they are partnering together.

Bally’s makes headway on Illinois casino

Bally’s has made progress with its casino proposal in Chicago. Recently, representatives from Bally’s had a two-hour meeting with the Committee on Design in Chicago to discuss different facets of the casino proposal.

Several topics were related to the potential impact of Bally’s on the River North and River West neighborhoods. Bally’s has plans to construct its casino on the site of the Chicago Tribune’s printing and newsroom facility, which is situated along the Chicago River.

The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) supervises the Committee on Design (CoD), a team of 24 volunteer urban design experts. The CoD’s role is to provide advice to Commissioner Maurice Cox and the DPD on design excellence for significant construction projects such as Bally’s.

Here are some of the main discussion points from the meeting.

CoD holds no legal power over Bally’s

Before diving into the meeting’s key points, it’s worth noting that Bally’s is not legally required to implement any ideas proposed by the CoD members. As an advisory board, the CoD can only suggest changes to Bally’s casino proposal.

Bally’s will need approval from The Chicago Plan Commission, Committee on Zoning and City Council for their proposal before they can commence construction. They aim to start building the casino early in 2023.

How does Bally’s plan to avoid congestion?

The significant increase in traffic is a major concern for neighborhood residents. Bally’s has implemented a plan to reduce heavy congestion on the nearby roads:

Cars exiting the Kennedy Expressway en route to the casino will take Ohio St, then proceed via Orleans St and Grand Ave. The Department of Transportation (CoD) has expressed worries about possible traffic on Orleans St, as it is a single-lane road. Bally’s has responded to these concerns by mentioning an active traffic study they are conducting to confirm that this is the safest route. Casino representatives also believe that the current plan will help avoid traffic congestion on Chicago Ave. and Halsted St.

The CoD raised questions about the potential for remote parking to alleviate heavy traffic around Bally’s roadways.

In essence, Bally’s asserts that a significant number of casino visitors will arrive by car, while the CoD contends that more guests will utilize public transportation to reach the casino.

CoD expressed concern for pedestrian experience around Bally’s

The architectural plans currently include:

• A hotel tower on Chicago Ave. that is 500 feet tall.
• A theater with 3,000 seats located to the south.
• The two buildings will flank the casino.

The casino, which intends to stretch across several blocks and feature no windows for roughly 1,000 feet along Jefferson St., is expected to dominate the area. The CoD fears that Bally’s buildings will consume too much space, resulting in a less than enjoyable pedestrian experience.

Representatives from Bally’s stated that regulations necessitate a casino to be located in a confined area with limited entrances for security purposes. The presence of Union Pacific railroad tracks required the casino complex to be extended in length to meet Bally’s specified square footage for the buildings.

The CoD requested Bally’s to consider the feasibility of relocating the casino floor to the second level of the casino. This would create room on the ground level for additional parking spaces along with retail and commercial spaces. This could also negate the need for a parking structure on the western side of the casino’s campus.

Bally’s representatives replied that they would take into account this possibility, even though the commercial space referred to by the CoD is not currently included in Bally’s design plan.

The CoD has suggested that the windowless segment of the casino on Jefferson St should face the river. They believe that this would help preserve a serene environment along the waterfront.

CoD has issues with Bally’s public plaza

Bally’s intends to construct a public plaza that will function as a gathering and drop-off spot for casino visitors. The proposed location for this area is at the intersection of Jefferson St and Chicago Ave.

The CoD doesn’t view the plaza as a public-friendly space where people would visit and spend time, due to its inconvenient location for pedestrians. Thus, the advisory board has questioned the feasibility of constructing the hotel tower in another area. They believe this could make the plaza bigger and more accessible for pedestrians.

Bally’s representatives demonstrated a willingness to relocate the tower and plaza. The primary factor influencing this decision would be the potential positive effect on the public plaza. This flexibility raised additional questions, particularly whether Bally’s would be willing to modify other aspects of the project. The CoD is urging Bally’s to reconsider the design of the elongated L-shaped casino, which is set to extend 1,000 feet along the riverfront.

Bally’s representatives responded, stating that the answer isn’t a straightforward yes or no at this stage. The unique layout of the Bally’s campus complicates any plan modifications, according to Bally’s.