Politics
Bally’s Halts Construction of Chicago Hotel, Concert Venue Amid Dispute Over Video Gambling
Bally’s casino and resort is being built on what was once the Chicago Tribune printing plant and newsroom near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street. (Provided)
Bally’s Corp. opened up a new front in the political battle over video gambling in Chicago by halting construction on the 34-story, 500-room hotel, concert venue and restaurants designed to make the city’s only casino into a destination for visitors and residents alike.
Officials with Bally’s Corp. have been warning the Chicago City Council for months that its move to green-light video gaming would kneecap the city’s permanent casino, scheduled to open in River West early next year.
After the City Council failed to even consider Mayor Brandon Johnson’s request that it reverse course, Bally’s upped the ante in the dispute by informing the firms doing the work that it was “resetting the pace of construction of elements” of the permanent casino, which is still slated to open early next year.
“We do not take this lightly because of the potential impact on many of the 1,500 union trades people who have been working hard to build Bally’s Chicago,” according to a statement from the firm. “We will continue to assess our options, which we hope will include more productive discussions with the Mayor’s Office and City Council.”
Over Johnson’s objections, the City Council authorized video gambling in Chicago bars and restaurants as part of the city’s 2026 spending plan.
“The potential for an uncontrolled proliferation of video gambling terminals (VGTs) is in breach of the City’s commitment not to expand gaming in the Host Community Agreement (HCA) and creates uncertainty that could be harmful for Bally’s Chicago prospects,” according to the statement from Bally’s.
All 50 members of the City Council and the mayor face reelection in February, and many will rely on the financial support of labor organizations who could see hundreds of their members thrown out of work by the dispute.
A majority of the City Council voted in December to allow Chicago bars and restaurants to offer video gambling, hoping to boost the city’s sagging tax revenues while tossing a lifeline to businesses struggling in a tough economic climate.
Representatives of the mayor did not respond to a request for comment from WTTW News, nor did a spokesperson for the coalition of alderpeople who voted to green-light video gambling in every bar and restaurant despite Bally’s warnings and the mayor’s opposition.
The city’s budget relies on $6.8 million in revenue from video gambling. None of that revenue has materialized, eight months into 2026.
That vote came despite warnings that allowing video gambling across the city will handicap the city’s permanent casino even before it opens, strain city resources and reduce the quality of life in Chicago neighborhoods.
Elizabeth Suever, the vice president of government relations at Bally’s Corp., warned the City Council that allowing video gambling terminals to start ringing up jackpots in Chicago “will necessitate the renegotiation of the existing host community agreement between Bally’s and the city, putting in jeopardy $4 million worth of yearly payments.”
While state officials have approved six video gambling licenses, city officials have yet to issue the necessary city licenses to allow those terminals to be plugged in.
The Illinois Gaming Board is set to meet Aug. 20, when it could approve more licenses.
An additional 294 bars and restaurants have applied for state licenses to offer video gambling in Chicago, records show.
The Chicago Tribune first reported the construction pause.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
