Golden Nugget Vs. Hard Rock: Danville Hopes To Beat Terre Haute To Casino Launch

Written By Joe Boozell on December 8, 2020Last Updated on March 18, 2021

Danville has resubmitted its casino application to the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) in hopes of hosting one of Illinois’s new casinos. Now, they wait for the decision.

City officials are hoping that the delay won’t be too long. However, considering how the IGB has managed different casino applications, there isn’t much cause for optimism.

Danville has a new chance to launch a game immediately. There is a competing game in Terre Haute, Indiana, approximately an hour north of Danville.

The project in Terre Haute isn’t progressing as rapidly as anticipated due to its involvement in the Spectacle Entertainment investigation. However, it appears to be significantly ahead of Danville.

A license has already been approved for Terre Haute and construction is expected to commence shortly.

When will Danville reach that level? It might be somewhat.

So far, the game programs in Danville have been a mess.

Haven Gaming initially submitted the casino application for Danville. However, the IGB stated that the application lacked adequate information and did not comply with state statutes.

Haven eventually chose not to make a charge in July. Alderman Mike Puhr alleged that the city was deceived, forcing local authorities to start all over again.

The Wilmot household maintained majority influence in the decision of Danville Development to spearhead the game programs in August.

The significant update arrived in November, when Golden Nugget established a deal with Danville Development to secure access to the Illinois market. Once it begins operations, a Danville casino will bear the Golden Nugget brand.

Conversely, the Terre Haute game will carry the Hard Rock branding.

Today, thanks to Golden Nugget, the IGB has a better understanding of what to expect from the Danville game. However, the committee has not traditionally been quick to respond to such programs.

The IGB is set to give a game person a year to decide whether to accept or reject them. Eight candidates were required to submit their proposals by the end of October, marking the end of the one-year period.

However, the Illinois Gambling Act also contains provisions that allow the IGB to postpone a decision with a written notice.

Thus, eight applicants were required to modify their proposals, and they remain uncertain about the fate of the applications they originally submitted in October 2019.

Each case is individual, yet there’s rationale to believe that Danville may not reach a decision for another year, if not earlier.

In simpler terms, Terre Haute is likely to have a head start of at least a year on Danville if the IGB doesn’t approve his plan much sooner than expected.

The casino in Terre Haute is much bigger than the one in Danville & rsquo.

Danville’s revised proposal isn’t nearly as ambitious as the initial one.

It includes 500 slot machines, 10 gaming tables, and a Landry’s Steakhouse. You may find it just north of Lynch Road.

Meanwhile, the Terre Haute, Rocksino, and Andrdquo venues will offer 300 seats for entertainment and 1,200 game stations. There might also be interaction with a nearby resort.

The original plan for Danville also incorporated a hotel and entertainment venue.

Gambling in Illinois are now closed as a result of COVID-19.

The Illinois Gambling Act allowed the construction of six new casinos in the following areas: Danville, Chicago, Rockford, Williamson County, Waukegan, and the south suburbs.

In addition to the 10 casinos already in operation in Illinois, That & rsquo is added.

However, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the Land of Lincoln, all casinos are currently closed. The decision to close them was made by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Nov. 17.

It is uncertain when the casinos may reopen as the state anticipates an increase in cases and illnesses during Thanksgiving.

This year, casinos in Illinois have had to close two times.

Currently, Danville and other potential locations aren’t missing many. However, the hustle becomes even more irksome when things go back to normal.

Wayne Parry’s pictures, AP
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Boozell, Joe

Since 2015, Joe Boozell has been a college sports writer for NCAA.com. His work has also been featured on Bleacher Report, FoxSports.com, and NBA.com. Boozell, during his younger years, played against Anthony Davis and Frank Kaminsky in the basketball scene of Chicagoland. You can probably guess how those games turned out.

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