Speaking to a group of local reporters, Lightfoot indicated that the casino will be part of a larger entertainment complex in Chicago.
“We need to create an entertainment district, so that we have good paying jobs — not only on the front end through the construction, but on the back end, and really have a touristic destination for people all over the world to come and see the latest attraction in this great city of Chicago,” Lightfoot said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The casino is expected to open in 2025.
In late 2020 several casino operators including MGM Resorts International, Hard Rock International, Rush Street Gaming and Wynn Resorts submitted a Request For Information summary probing where Chicago should build the casino and what amenities to include.
The consensus was that the casino should be built near downtown with allowance for mass transit, car traffic and adequate parking. The ideal casino size ranged from 100,000 sq. ft. to 200,000 sq. ft. with 25,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft. designated for multipurpose space.
Lightfoot was non-committal on where she’d like to see a casino built.
“Well, I’m not going to identify locations,” she said. Obviously, I have some ideas about that.”
Lightfoot previously predicted a casino could bring in $1.2bn in annual taxes.
