According to the latest reports, the city of Waukegan could start attracting gamblers as soon as October 2022, although the local casino is not expected to be ready until 2025.
An interim casino, which is very suitably named “The Temporary by American Place”, is scheduled to start operation later in 2022 at a location that borders the Fountain Square shopping center where the permanent American Place casino is set to be built by Full House Resorts. The temporary casino establishment would feature 50 table games, 1,000 slot machines, as well as a bar, and three restaurants, as previously revealed by the concessionaire.
Ann Taylor, Mayor of Waukegan, has confirmed that the temporary casino is expected to start operation sometime between October and December this year. She further noted that even though it will technically be a tent, the construction will be strong enough to endure various weather conditions until the permanent casino facility is completed.
The structure of the tent is likely to start coming together in the next few weeks, Mayor Taylor explained. So far, Full House Resorts has already hosted a number of job fairs to fill various employee positions at The Temporary, which is expected to trigger further development in the area. Ms. Taylor shared that the upcoming casino has brought “a lot of buzz” to the city. She further cited some other advantages of the construction, such as Metra access to downtown Chicago.
Permanent American Place Casino Scheduled to Start Operation in 2025, Full House Resorts Says
The proposed location for the casino is among the main reasons why Full House Resorts believe its American Place resort will become a hit among local residents and visitors of the city. Company officials have shared that when completed, the American Place will be the closest casino venue for about 1.2 million people in southern Wisconsin and Lake County.
Apart from that, the executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association (ICGA) which represents the majority of casinos in the state – Tom Thanas – has shared that the American Place casino will not be too close to the comfort of other casinos in the area. Mr. Thanas has reminded that brick-and-mortar casinos had been operating in the state for about 3 decades now and they had always found a way to adjust to competition and even welcomed it.
As previously reported by CasinoGamesPro, the permanent American Place casino is scheduled to open in 2025. It is set to feature 100 table games, 1,640 slot machines, a sportsbook, as well as a 1,500-seat entertainment venue, a number of restaurants and bars, and a rooftop helipad, especially for high-roller customers. Furthermore, 20 luxury villas with butlers, a spa, and room service will be available as part of Full House’s permanent casino resort at what will be called The Mansion.
Once the construction of “The Temporary by American Place” is finalized and the casino starts operation, Full House Resorts will have 3 years to complete the planned permanent casino. Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor has shared she was optimistic that the overall construction would not take all 3 years and that the company would like to get the permanent casino done as soon as possible.
