Bally’s grows Chicago casino attendance, earnings in December; still short of opening month
The new downtown Chicago casino, Bally’s, saw an increase in both attendance and earnings in December, according to data released by the Illinois Gaming Board. However, the casino continues to fall short of its revenue expectations.
In December, Bally’s recorded a total of 99,832 guests at its Medinah Temple gaming facility. While this marks an 11.7% increase compared to November, it is still lower than the 3,347 daily visitors the casino saw during its opening month in September.
The win, which represents the casino’s revenue after payouts, also experienced limited growth in December. The casino recorded a daily win of $274,264, an 8% improvement from November. However, it still fell short of Bally’s $278,268 daily win during its opening month.
Despite these improvements, Bally’s December win ranked fourth-highest in Illinois, behind Rivers Casino, Grand Victoria Casino, and Harrah’s Joliet.
Compared to other nearby casinos, Bally’s performance was also lackluster. The Hollywood casinos in Aurora and Joliet, as well as the American Place temporary casino in Waukegan, reported similar or higher win totals in December.
The Indiana Gaming Commission is yet to release its December revenue report, but historical data suggests that the casinos in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary, and Michigan City will likely outperform the new Chicago casino.
The underperformance of Bally’s Chicago is concerning, as the casino is far from meeting the city’s tax revenue targets. In December, Bally’s paid only $864,645 in casino taxes to Chicago’s underfunded police and firefighter pension accounts.
The hopes of reaching the city’s tax revenue target of $50 million annually during operations at Medinah Temple seem unlikely, and the goal of reaching $200 million annually in 2026 and beyond with the opening of a permanent casino, entertainment, and hotel complex is at risk.
Overall, Bally’s Chicago has shown growth in terms of attendance and earnings, but it still has a long way to go to meet its revenue expectations and become a thriving gaming destination in the city.
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