Bally's temporary Medinah Temple casino in River North now open
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After passing a test run overseen by state regulators, Bally's temporary casino at the Medinah Temple in the River North neighborhood opened its doors on Saturday.
Bally's plans to operate the temporary casino for up to three years while building a permanent casino in the River West neighborhood.
The three-story temporary casino features nearly 800 slot machines and 56 table games, according to Bally's. It also includes two restaurants; the diner-style Medinah Bistro, and the Asian street food noodle bar Kitchen 888. The casino also has full-service bars on the first and third floors, and a coffee bar, Wabash Café.
Revenue generated by the temporary casino could bring $55 million a year to the city.
"Bally's Chicago will redefine the entertainment landscape as the first and only casino in Chicago," Bally's said in a press release announcing the casino's opening.
Before opening, the temporary casino had to go through a test run this week. State regulators were at the temporary casino on Wednesday and Thursday to test the entire operation, including the slot machines, gaming tables, food and beverage service, security, and more, before signing off on the final license.
Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter issued that license for the temporary casino on Friday, after determining Bally's had met all of the state requirements to open.
Within 30 days of the temporary casino's opening, Bally's will send more than $135 million in upfront fees to the Gaming Board, to be used on statewide infrastructure projects.
Pizzeria Uno has anchored the corner of Wabash Avenue and Ohio Street across the street from Medinah Temple for 80 years, and the deep-dish giant is ready to welcome their new neighbor with open arms.
"We are one of the few restaurants right outside their doors so it's good for our business. It's good for our staff," said Robert Komar, general manager of Pizzeria Uno. "It's a win all around."
But not all neighbors are happy with the temporary casino.
"Chicago can do better than this," said Deborah Gershbein, president of the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents, or SOAR. "We don't need to look at gambling as a resource to raise funds for the city."
SOAR strongly opposes the project.
"These are the two main arteries to and from the expressway that leads downtown," Gershbein said. "So we are very concerned about the traffic issues as well as the potential safety issues."
Bally's expects to hire over 500 people for the Medinah Temple location. They said they are ready to handle congestion and safety concerns.
The space has been outfitted with about 750 slots and 50 table games, all while the permanent location is being built in River West, which is set to open in 2026.
"They've been really good communicating with us about what they are going to do, and they have their own security," said Komar.
The casino opened to the public at 8 a.m. Saturday to a line out the door. The city helped with traffic control, and Chicago Police were on hand as a steady stream of people flowed into the Medinah Temple.
"We've been overdue here in Chicago. We should have had a casino a long time ago," said PJ McPherson.
Bally's will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m.