The newest casino in Illinois, situated in Waukegan, appears to be progressing towards an opening in December. Nevertheless, an exact date for its opening has not been officially confirmed.
Executives from The Temporary by American Place Casino, owned and operated by Full House, announced in September that construction delays caused by supply chain issues and approval process complications have pushed back the opening date to December.
The opening of the IL casino in the Lake Michigan town was originally scheduled for October.
During its third quarter results on Monday, Full House announced that product and systems testing at the Waukegan temporary site will commence before the end of the month.
Full House Resorts CEO, Daniel R. Lee, confirmed that workers are in the process of finalizing the decor and preparing to install slot machines this week.
Lee stated that they expect to have the entire slot floor installed and ready for testing by the end of November.
He also pointed out that the “complex process” usually takes several weeks to complete, which is why the company is unsure of the exact opening date.
Lee stated that, as with all new casino openings, there is a detailed checklist that must be completed before the facility can welcome its first guests. Therefore, while the company expects the casino to be up and running in the next quarter, the exact opening date is still unknown.
Circa sportsbook to launch with American Place opening
The collaboration with Full House at the Waukegan facility is crucial as it allows Circa to debut its sportsbook app in Illinois. Circa will become the eighth sports betting operator in Illinois upon its launch, joining the ranks of:
Along with the Circa Sportsbook, the temporary Waukegan casino will also offer:
- 1,000 slot machines
- 50 table games
- You have a variety of dining options to choose from, such as three sit-down restaurants, additional food choices, and a roomy bar.
The $400 million permanent American Place casino in Waukegan is scheduled to open in 2025.
It will feature:
- 1,640 slots
- 100 table games
- A permanent sportsbook
- 1,500-seat entertainment venue
- The Mansion will start with 20 rooms designed in a ‘villa-style’, with plans to add a hotel in the second phase featuring 150 rooms.
Full House Resorts prides itself on providing a high-end gaming experience and manages casinos in Mississippi, Indiana, Nevada, and Colorado.
The new casino opening in the city between Chicago and Milwaukee is projected to bring in more than 400 job opportunities.
Lee announced that the casino will be the only one in Lake County, Illinois. He mentioned that the county, known as one of the wealthiest in the U.S., has a population of approximately 700,000.
Third quarter results for Full House
After reviewing the numbers, Full House recorded a net loss of $3.6 million for the quarter that ended on Sept. 30. This loss was attributed to higher development expenses when compared to a net profit of $4.6 million in 2021.
Revenue in the third quarter this year dropped to $41.4 million, a 12% decrease from the $47.2 million earned in the same period last year.
Additionally, Full House is set to open a casino in Colorado called the Chamonix Casino Hotel in mid-2023.
Lee claimed that once Chamonix is finished, it will be one of Colorado’s biggest casino hotels, as well as the most luxurious and largest in Cripple Creek – the primary casino hub for the Colorado Springs market. Situated around an hour away from nearly one million Colorado Springs metro area residents and two hours away from about four million Denver residents, Cripple Creek is in an ideal location.
