BREAKING: Illinois Gaming Board Selects Winning Bidders For Waukegan, South Suburban Casino Licenses

Written By Joe Boozell on December 8, 2021
Supply chain issues and approval process complications have delayed the opening of the Waukegan American Place temporary casino located between Chicago and Milwaukee.

The winning candidates for the Waukegan and south suburban casino licenses were selected by the Illinois Gaming Board ( IGB ) on Wednesday.

The winners are Wind Creek Casino Homewood / East Hazel Crest( south suburbs ) and American Place Casino( Waukegan ). The panel also determined that both groups were initially eligible for a license.

Suitability in its initial stages is only a step away from last certification.

The Waukegan vote comes as a bit of a surprise. At the last board meeting, the IGB delayed a vote due to a pending lawsuit from Potawatomi Casino. Potawatomi claimed Waukegan’s process was “rigged,” specifically citing the North Point Casino bid.

But in a Tuesday court hearing, a judge rejected Potawatomi’s attempt to delay the vote. And ultimately, the IGB went with American Place over North Point anyway.

The runner-up pay for the southern suburbs was South Suburban Casino Matteson.

The process moves quickly from below. The winning bids may soon be able to start construction on their permanent facilities after overcoming a few more regulatory obstacles for ultimate certification.

These have been the two most aggressive bidding procedures outside of Chicago. Let’s get to know the upcoming casinos at American Place and Wind Creek, Let & rsquo.

Waukegan, South Suburban Casino Winners, in a Snapshot

Waukegan American Place Casino

BREAKING: Illinois Gaming Board Selects Winning Bidders For Waukegan, South Suburban Casino Licenses 2

A momentary game will be built by American Place close to the Fountain Square buying district.

A helicopter pad, four-star hotels, mansions, and restaurants, as well as a 1,500-seat entertainment venue, are among the intriguing important features. Twenty rooms in the castle hotel were created especially for VIP casino patrons.

The project will generate nearly 1, 900 jobs and cost about$ 375 million. A physical betting will also exist.

About 35 km northwest of Chicago’s city will be the game. Due to its close proximity to Milwaukee, American Place even intends to serve that market.

East Hazel Crest / Wind Creek Casino Homewood

BREAKING: Illinois Gaming Board Selects Winning Bidders For Waukegan, South Suburban Casino Licenses 3

On the property close to East Hazel Crest and Homewood, Wind Creek will be located at the intersection of I-80 / 294 & nbsp. About 800 full-time jobs will be created as a result of the$ 440 million project.

A financial casino, 1,350 slots, 56 board games, and 69,190 square feet of gaming space will all be present in the casino.

A four-diamond resort, bars, restaurants, an entertainment center, and a sky club are all amenities. The hotel may consist of 252 rooms.

Waukegan will probably enter the market first because there won’t be a temporary game in collaboration with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

What was the IGB’s opinion of Waukegan?

Due to the Potawatomi claims, the committee postponed voting on a Waukegan license winner on November 18. However, Potawatomi & rsquo’s request for a restraining order was denied by Circuit Judge Cecilia Horan on Tuesday.

Through the Chicago Tribune, Horan stated:

& ldquo,( Potawatomi ), enters as a rival to the other casinos in an effort andhellip to be able to open one. It does not enter as an Illinois or Waukegan resident. Therefore, I do not think that the claimant is a legal entity. The law’s purpose was to safeguard. & rdquo,

Potawatomi claims that the town directed the application procedure in the direction of North Point Casino in particular. Although the legal dispute is still pending, the IGB was able to cast its vote as a result of Horan & rsquo’s ruling.

More news from the Illinois casino, & hellip

The Hard Rock temporary casino is now open, as it launched in November. Hard Rock’s permanent casino will follow in the next year to two.

IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter announced that Walker & rsquo, s Bluff Casino in Williamson County, recently broke ground at the board meeting on Wednesday.

Finally, the Chicago casino process is getting a lot more interesting. The city received five bids: Two apiece from Bally’s and Rush Street Gaming and one from Hard Rock.

On December 16, these businesses will unveil their intentions to the city and the general public. In the first quarter of 2022, it is hoped that Chicago may choose a winning bid, at which point the person can turn in their components to the IGB.

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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.

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