Chicago Now Accepting Bids For A New Downtown Casino Resort

By Giovanni Shorter | April 26, 2021
  • Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is accepting bids for a new casino resort in the city.
  • The hope is to have the resort open by 2025.
  • This will be the first casino resort in the city of Chicago.

CHICAGO – Chicago gambling fans will soon see a major casino resort in the heart of the city as Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago City Council have begun accepting bids for a new casino operation.

This will be the first casino in the heart of Chicago and the city hopes to have it up and running by 2025. The goal is to drive up to the local economy in the area.

The Illinois gambling market has seen a lot of success in recent years, so Chicago wanting to capitalize on this and launch a major casino resort makes sense.

Chicago Casino Resort

The requirements for the casino resort in Chicago is that it must be a 500 room hotel, offer restaurants, bars, an entertainment venue, and meeting space. The potential winner must also gain approval from the Illinois Gaming Board.

“A premier entertainment destination that will catalyze growth in our dynamic economy, create sustainable, good-paying jobs for our workforce and bring new financial opportunities to our businesses,” said Lightfoot. “Will be able to incorporate its property into the city’s vibrant cultural scene, robust public transit infrastructure and highly diversified economy.”

There is also a push for minority ownership with this new casino operation, with applicants being required to set at least 26% of the construction contacts to black and Latino Chicagoans and another 6% for Chicago women-owned firms.

In addition, in an effort to bring business to the city of Chicago, 50% of all hours worked to build the resort must be performed by Chicago residents with 7.5% of the total hours be performed by residents who live in the area surrounding the construction site.

The location for the casino has not been decided as there is a disagreement between city officials as to exactly where the casino should be.

South and West side city officials want the casino within their districts, leading to conflict, while Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker wants the casino to avoid McCormick Place or any of the city’s central business districts.

While the city works out the details, they are still accepting biddings for the new legal casino operation in Chicago.

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