After multiple hiccups and setbacks during the construction process, the opening date for Bally’s Chicago casino could now stretch into 2027 after a bill filed on Thursday would extend the company’s temporary casino licence by up to 12 more months.
The $1.8 billion permanent casino currently faces a September opening deadline under its host community agreement with Chicago. HB 4437, filed by Rep Kam Buckner, would give Bally’s an additional six months on its temporary licence, with two additional three-month extensions available after that. If the bill is enacted, Bally’s would have until September 2027 at the latest to finish construction on its permanent venue.
The temporary Bally’s casino at Medinah Temple has been open since 9 September 2023. Under state law, temporary casinos cannot operate for more than 24 months unless a 12-month extension is approved by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Bally’s already asked for and received that first extension in 2023, which is why the new bill is needed. If this latest extension does not pass and the permanent venue is not completed by the deadline, the temporary casino would be forced to close.
‘It’s fair and healthy to have doubts’
Bally’s said that the bill is not a guarantee that the original deadline would be missed. Rather, it is a failsafe intended to provide “operational certainty” that the temporary casino will not close before completion of the permanent venue, the company said.
“We appreciate the partnership with City leaders and the General Assembly,” Christopher Jewett, Bally’s senior vice president of corporate development, said in a statement. “This proposed legislation allows us to continue operating responsibly while we advance our permanent facility and deliver on the long-term commitments to Chicago.”
While Bally’s was appreciative of the potential relief, Buckner was brutally honest about why he supported the extension.
“The whole thing may be in jeopardy, right? It’s fair and healthy to have doubts,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “But the only way to figure that out is to let the process play out another 12 months. All I’m asking for is to give them the space that they need to, hopefully, make this thing work.”
Bumpy process has caused growing uncertainty
The introduction of HB 4437 is the most direct indication yet that the original completion deadline could be in jeopardy.
Bally’s has been hampered by multiple hurdles since beginning construction at the site of the former Chicago Tribune publishing plant two years ago. This includes separate work stoppages related to demolition debris in late 2024 and unapproved contractors at the site last year, as well as a significant funding gap that was closed through a mega-financing deal with Gaming and Leisure Properties. Potential interference with city water lines also necessitated a major redesign of the property’s layout.
Last year, GLPI released a construction update that said, “Bally’s expects the property to open in the fourth quarter of 2026”, which implied an October-December timeline rather than September. Bally’s did not acknowledge any changes to the timeline when approached by iGB at that time.
Another GLPI update, released in December, did not mention an opening schedule for Bally’s Chicago. GLPI has more than $2 billion worth of financing and lending deals committed to Bally’s projects, including $940 million for the Chicago casino.
“Our focus is and has been on the development of the Bally’s Chicago permanent casino and destination resort,” Carlo Santarelli, GLPI’s senior vice president of corporate strategy, told iGB. “The timeline to opening remains consistent with our expectations. The decision as to whether an extension for the temporary facility is granted has no impact on GLPI, other than a successful extension would be in the best interest of our tenant, and we, as a partner, are always hopeful that the best interests of our tenants are served.
“From a financial perspective, however, an extension of the temporary license is not impactful, in any way, to GLPI.”
Tax generation, VGTs top of mind for Bally’s Chicago
In addition to construction mishaps, there have been other Chicago stressors for Bally’s. One is the underperformance of the temporary casino relative to the city’s expectations. In calendar year 2025, the casino generated $124.6 million in adjusted gross receipts, but its city tax revenue of $15.8 million fell short of the budgeted $16.5 million. That gap was higher in 2024, with $35 million budgeted compared to $16 million delivered in tax revenue.
“As we enter almost the end of Chicago’s temporary casino licence, we haven’t seen a lot of movement,” Buckner told the Sun-Times. “It’s been everything from the work stoppage to some of these broader issues that we’re trying to figure out in the city.”
Another significant development for Bally’s has been the potential legalisation of video gaming terminals in Chicago. Though currently banned in the city, VGTs have proliferated throughout the rest of Illinois to become the state’s dominant gaming revenue generator. In 2025, casinos generated about $430 million in combined state and local taxes, compared to $1.1 billion in total taxes from VGTs.
Chicago’s 2026 budget set aside $6.8 million in VGT licensing revenue, which assumes that over three-quarters of the city’s existing liquor licensees would apply for VGTs. However, the future of that provision is uncertain, per local reports, with negotiations still continuing. Bally’s has warned that legalising VGTs would jeopardise a $4 million annual payment to the city under the host community agreement and impact its performance.
“To incorporate unregulated, independently managed VGTs as a budget line item will result in a loss of substantial new revenue for the City, and will create significant job losses at the Bally’s Chicago Casino,” Elizabeth Suever, Bally’s vice president of government relations, said in a statement last year.
Jess Marquez
Jess has covered the global gaming industry since 2022. A native of Reno, Nevada, he’d like to note that it’s Ne-va-da, not Ne-VAH-da.
September 2026 was always going to be a tight fit for Bally’s Chicago opening, but an extension to 2027 is being proposed.