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The opening of a temporary casino in Waukegan, Illinois is now expected to take place in December.
The temporary casino at The American Place, owned and operated by Full House, was originally scheduled to open in October.
Today, the casino complex’s exterior is mostly completed. Turner Construction crews are currently working on the interior of the 75,000-square foot gambling hall located next to the Fountain Square Shopping Center.
The temporary Waukegan casino will provide:
- 1,000 slot machines
- 50 table games
- A Circa sportsbook
- There are plenty of dining options to choose from, such as three sit-down restaurants, a variety of other food selections, and a large bar area.
Circa is preparing to debut its Illinois sportsbook app through a major partnership with Full House at the Waukegan facility. Once live, Circa will become the eighth sports betting operator in Illinois.
Supply chain issues caused the delay in opening
According to Alex Stolyar, the Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President of Full House Resorts, the construction of the temporary facility has been postponed because of supply chain issues and complications in the approval process, as reported by the Lake County News-Sun.
Stolyar stated that 700 people will be employed once it is up and running.
The Waukegan site is one of six new casinos approved for Illinois as part of a 2019 gambling expansion. The state, which currently has 11 casinos, is also adding major locations in downtown Chicago, Danville, the South Suburbs, Walker’s Bluff, and Rockford. It is worth mentioning that a temporary casino has already opened in Rockford.
Permanent Illinois casino in Waukegan due to open in 2025
The American Place casino, with a price tag of $400 million, is scheduled to open its doors for good in Waukegan in 2025.
It will feature:
- 1,640 slots
- 100 table games
- A permanent sportsbook
- 1,500-seat entertainment venue
- The first phase will consist of 20 villa-style rooms called The Mansion, with an additional 150 rooms to be added in the second phase for a total of 170 rooms.
Full House Resorts is known for providing a luxurious gaming experience and operates casinos in Mississippi, Indiana, Nevada, and Colorado.
Casino located between Chicago and Milwaukee
According to the 2020 census, Waukegan, the county seat of Lake County, IL, has a population of 87,000. Positioned 24 miles north of Chicago and 54 miles south of Milwaukee, it is strategically located for Full House to draw in gambling patrons from both cities to American Place.
The region is densely populated, with over 10 million people living in the larger area. The Chicago metro area, or Chicagoland, including Waukegan, has a population of 8.9 million, while Milwaukee and its surrounding area have a population of nearly 1.5 million.
On the other hand, the temporary casino in Rockford began its operations in November 2021 and has already amassed a gross revenue exceeding $30 million as of July 2022. Additionally, Hard Rock Rockford achieved a record-breaking attendance of 45,000 customers in July. The permanent casino is scheduled to open in 2025.
It should be noted that the casino industry in Illinois has successfully rebounded from the difficulties of the past two years due to the pandemic. In July of this year, casino revenue surpassed $773 million, representing only a slight 0.5% decrease compared to the same period in 2019, which was considered a “normal” year when revenue for the first seven months totaled $778 million.
