Union Gaming has conducted feasibility checks for a new casino resort in Illinois. The firm has been chosen by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) to carry out a study on the possible location of a new resort. According to the results, the Windy City is rumoured to be a location for the future complex.
The midwestern state has just become a candidate for a new resort after the governor approved a law which allows construction of five casinos in Chicago suburbs and one integrated resort in the centre of the city. The planned casinos are now waiting for results from the study which will show whether the construction is possible.
IGB released the statement:
“Union Gaming Analytics was selected following a competitive bidding process compliant with the Illinois Procurement Code. The IGB received a total of three bids. Two of the bids were disqualified as untimely because they were received after the bidding process deadline had passed.”
Union Gaming is expected to complete the study as soon as possible. It is already in progress and the firm should submit the results to the Illinois governor as well as to Chicago mayor, Lori Lightfoot in three months. The total costs of the study are estimated at $101,800.
If the examinations show that Chicago is a good location for an integrated resort, the exact position is still to be determined, though possible locations have been identified. Ed Zotti from the local Sun-Times said that Millennium Park could be the right fit for the future resort. He stated:
“The best way to ensure that a casino helps, rather than hurts, its host city is to put it in the middle of a hot entertainment district—entertainment meaning amusements other than gambling. Casinos aren’t a neighborhood revitalization tool. If you put a casino in some down-and-out location hoping to spark a revival, you’re kidding yourself. Casinos don’t bring vitality to an urban area. If carelessly designed, they can suck the vitality out.”
A Chicago location seems to be attractive for several casino operators including Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts, and Caesars Entertainment. There are likelihoods that MGM will choose Chicago for a future resort location. Its head of development, Brian Sandoval, observed:
“The state presents a new and dynamic market, and as a leader in gaming and sports betting, we will certainly consider our options there.”
Las Vegas Sands has recently announced that it doesn't have plans for Illinois. On the other hand, Wynn Resorts CEO, Matt Maddox, mentioned that Boston Harbour could be a positive example for future projects.
Source:
“Union Gaming chosen to review Chicago casino feasibility“, Erik Gibbs, calvinayre.com, July 16, 2019.