Bally's River West Resort Last Casino Standing in Chicago?
Rhode Island-based Bally's appears to be the last casino up for consideration in the Windy City of Chicago.
Alderman Pat Dowell announced on Monday she "cannot support” Hard Rock International’s plan to open a casino as part of the proposed mega-development in her ward, citing neighbors’ fears over crime and the potential for overcrowding.
Bally's is the only proposal left on the table. That company is looking to develop a casino resort in the River West section of the city. The alderman there has not come out against a gambling site in the ward.
City leaders are looking to tap revenue from the eventual casino to fund Chicago's pension obligations.
“I believe a casino will support the growth and prosperity of the City by adding a sought-after destination amenity to Chicago’s already world-class tourism and hospitality offerings,” Dowell wrote in her statement. “I know first-hand how vital a casino is to the City’s bottom line. The revenues from a Chicago casino will go a long way towards ensuring we meet our obligations to the Police and Fire pension funds.”
But she added that city leaders must balance the “positive aspects of each casino proposal” against “the needs and wishes of the existing community.”
“The Hard Rock Casino at ONE Central would be dropped into an existing, well-established family community in the Prairie District of Chicago’s South Loop,” Dowell wrote. “Because of that, I have concerns about the density of the Hard Rock Casino proposal.”
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
