The Pros And Cons Of All 5 Chicago Casino Proposals

Written By Joe Boozell on December 16, 2021
Hard Rock

On Thursday, Chicago game bidders announced their plans to the city’s residents. City officials may then decide which program they want to choose.

Mayor Lori Lightfootsaid she hopes to have a winner in the first quarter of 2022. Rush Street Gaming and Bally’s are responsible for two bids apiece, while Hard Rock submitted one proposal.

The Chicago game method is finally moving forward. The winner must submit an application to the Illinois Gaming Board ( IGB ) after the city selects a bid.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each bet after watching all the presentations and carefully examining the plan details.

Chicago Rivers McCormick

The Pros And Cons Of All 5 Chicago Casino Proposals 2

Pros

  • The Chicago Rivers McCormick proposal would easily be the quickest to market. The current McCormick Place Lakeside Center would be repurposed rather than building something from scratch. Presenters said that the casino would be ready to go within a year of approval from the IGB.
  • Rush Street Gaming partially owns Rivers Casino Des Plaines, the most popular casino in Illinois. Thus, Rush Street has a successful track record of running casinos.
  • Rivers is a well-known company in the Chicagoland region.
  • view of the lake perspective.
  • Instead of constructing a construction from nothing, this plan may make use of the available space. Less disturbance to the area may result from that.

Cons

    This is the least expensive proposition, costing$ 1.3 billion. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does raise the question of whether any value will be given up for future Chicago game patrons.

  • Some people might find the site to be unfavorable. It & rsquo doesn’t have easily accessible public transit options and is close to Soldier Field, which can be a traffic problem. Place traffic, though, is based on the time of day.
  • Although some may object because some in the normal industry oppose the blackjack, the proposal calls for improvements to the local Arie Crown Theater.

Rivers 78

The Pros And Cons Of All 5 Chicago Casino Proposals 3

Pros

  • Rivers 78 Casino would be between the South Loop and Chinatown; this site is described as the “most accessible” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Numerous Chicago bus and coach ranges pass by this area.
  • The Chicago River would be next to it.
  • Contrary to One Central, another proposed megadevelopment and casino site, construction on the 78 & rdquo development side has been approved.
  • Its Rush Street relationships, like Rivers McCormick’s, are advantageous. In Illinois, Rivers is a well-known entertainment company.
  • Rivers has run different prosperous games in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
  • It would have an observation deck of 1,000 feet.

Cons

    It might be at odds with Gov. Plans for an Illinois University tech research center in a related field are made by JB Pritzker & rsquo.

  • Given how close it is to home areas, some Chicagoans may react negatively to it.
  • This strategy, in contrast to other Rush Street ideas, may require more time to build than a month.

Bally & rsquo, a publishing house of the Chicago Tribune

The Pros And Cons Of All 5 Chicago Casino Proposals 4

Pros

  • A Chicago casino will serve as Bally & rsquo’s & ldquo, flagship property, and the hub of its casino portfolio, the company has vowed.
  • The game refused to accept payment. Contrary to Rush Street( Rivers in Des Plaines ) and Hard Rock( Rockford and Gary, Indiana ), there are conflicting interests nearby.
  • Due to its ownership of numerous regional sports networks, Bally & rsquo is a growing US brand. Additionally, Bally & rsquo, s has invested significantly in the sports betting market.
  • Since it & rsquo is on the near north side of Chicago, the casino would be accessible from all areas of the city.
  • River panoramas.
  • A Chicago sporting museum is one of the features that are included in the plan.
  • Bally & rsquo, s promises the city an upfront payment of$ 25 million upon selection.

Cons

    Phase 1 costs$ 1 billion, and Phase 2 could cost up to$ 600 million, so this plan has several phases. This was particularly mentioned by Rivers McCormick in its presentation.

  • In Illinois, Bally & rsquo, s is not as well-known of a name as Rivers.
  • It would be situated in an area that was more affluent than some rival propositions. What & rsquo already exists, how much would it increase?

McCormick Place, Bally & rsquo

The Pros And Cons Of All 5 Chicago Casino Proposals 5

Pros

  • A Chicago casino will serve as Bally & rsquo’s & ldquo, flagship property, and the hub of its casino portfolio, the company has vowed.
  • Unlike Rush Street( Rivers Des Plaines ) and Hard Rock( Rockford Gary ), Bally & rsquo has no competing interests nearby.
  • Due to its numerous regional sports networks and significant investment in the sports betting industry, it is a growing US product.
  • The game may have a number of Chicago-specific amenities, such as an Illinois sports museum.
  • Bally & rsquo, if chosen, guarantees the city an upfront payment of$ 50 million.

Cons

  • also has numerous development phases, which calls into question the timeline.
  • There has been significant opposition to this request from some individuals. neighborhood Ald. Fourth Sophia King is strongly opposed.
  • Compared to some other proposals, CTA and Metra are not as visible.

One Central Hard Rock

The Pros And Cons Of All 5 Chicago Casino Proposals 6

Pros

    If One Central is constructed, it will have a system of different transportation companies, such as CTA, Metra, and Amtrak. There would therefore be a wide range of public transportation options.

  • Hard Rock is a well-known company with international clout, and it has been collaborating closely with the IGB on its Rockford job.
  • Given the project’s character, there would be a ton of new economic development in the area, making it incredibly present.

Cons

    One Central does not yet exist, and in order to be a fact, it needs$ 6.5 billion in state funding.

  • Gov. Pritzker’s office has not publicly supported One Central.
  • Timing: Considering the area & rsquo, lack of approval, and existing infrastructure, it would likely take a long time to build the casino, even if One Central eventually comes to life.
  • Early 2022 is when Mayor Lightfoot & rsquo’s office wants to choose a winner, but the timeline doesn’t seem to work because One Central was supported by the state.
  • Additionally, One Central has not received public support from the travel companies.

City of Chicago pictures
Boozell, Joe Avatar
authored by

Boozell, Joe

Boozell, Joe has also been a college sports writer for NCAA.com since 2015. His work has also appeared in Bleacher Report, FoxSports.com and NBA.com. Growing up, Boozell squared off against both Anthony Davis and Frank Kaminsky in the Chicagoland basketball scene … you can imagine how that went.

View all posts by Boozell, Joe