Temporary Illinois Casino In Waukegan Now Expected To Open In December

It is now anticipated that a temporary casino in Waukegan, Illinois will open in December.

The temporary casino at The American Place, which is owned and operated by Full House, was initially anticipated to open in October.

The exterior of the casino complex is largely finished today. Currently, Turner Construction crews are focusing on the interior of the 75,000-square foot gambling hall situated next to the Fountain Square Shopping Center.

The Waukegan casino, which is temporary, will offer:

• 1,000 slot machines
• 50 table games
• A Circa sportsbook
• There are numerous dining options available including three sit-down restaurants, various other food choices, and a spacious bar.

Circa is set to launch its Illinois sportsbook app, thanks to its significant partnership with Full House at the Waukegan facility. This will make Circa the eighth sports betting operator in Illinois when it goes live.

Supply chain issues caused the delay in opening

Alex Stolyar, the Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President for Full House Resorts, informed the Lake County News-Sun that the construction of the temporary facility has been delayed due to supply chain problems and complications in the approval process.

Stolyar said that it will employ 700 people once it becomes operational.

The Waukegan location is one of six new casinos sanctioned for the Land of Lincoln under a 2019 gambling expansion. Illinois, which already houses 11 casinos, is introducing major sites in downtown Chicago, Danville, the South Suburbs, Walker’s Bluff, and Rockford, besides Waukegan. Notably, a temporary casino in Rockford is already in operation.

Permanent Illinois casino in Waukegan due to open in 2025

The American Place casino, costing $400 million, is set to permanently open in Waukegan in 2025.

It will feature:

• 1,640 slots
• 100 table games
• A permanent sportsbook
• 1,500-seat entertainment venue
• The initial phase includes 20 ‘villa-style’ rooms named The Mansion. A hotel with 150 rooms will be incorporated in the second phase.

Full House Resorts, renowned for offering a luxurious experience to players, proudly operates casinos in Mississippi, Indiana, Nevada, and Colorado.

Casino located between Chicago and Milwaukee

As per the 2020 census, Waukegan, the county seat of Lake County, IL, has a population of 87,000. Located 24 miles north of Chicago and 54 miles south of Milwaukee, it is in a prime location for Full House to attract gambling customers from both cities to American Place.

The region has a significant population. The larger area houses over 10 million inhabitants. The Chicago metro area, also known as Chicagoland, which encompasses Waukegan, has a population of 8.9 million. The population of Milwaukee and its surrounding area is close to 1.5 million.

In contrast, the temporary casino in Rockford started operating in November 2021. As of July 2022, it has generated a gross revenue of over $30 million. Moreover, Hard Rock Rockford set an attendance record in July, welcoming 45,000 customers. The permanent casino is set to open in 2023.

It’s important to mention that the casino industry in Illinois has recovered from the challenging two years of the pandemic. As of July this year, the casino revenue has exceeded $773 million. This is only a 0.5% decrease from the same period in 2019, the last comparable “normal” year, when the revenue for the first seven months was $778 million.