Bally’s Chicago Making Changes Following Feedback From Residents

The city of Chicago is getting its first casino! Bally’s Chicago is planned to be a major entertainment option for residents and tourists, with thousands of slot machines, hundreds of table games, and a massive entertainment center. The $1.7 billion project hasn’t been without pushback though, as many locals have concerns over the ambitious casino opening.

The team has listened to this feedback, as evidenced by an updated proposal for the casino resort. Here’s everything you need to know about the changes being made to the Bally’s Chicago plans, plus some information on other Bally’s locations across the country.

Bally’s Chicago Responds To Feedback With Changes, But Questions Remain

While many Illinois residents are thrilled for the planned opening of Bally’s Chicago, others have been critical over the massive plans. Noise pollution is one of the top concerns with residents who are expecting disruption from the planned location in River West. However, Bally’s has listened to these points and responded by cancelling plans for an outdoor music venue housing 1,000 patrons following months of outcry.

According to Block Club Chicago, instead of opening up the concert venue, Bally’s Chicago will now feature a riverfront park for patrons to visit. More green space has also been added to the casino construction plans.

Another of the biggest issues with the opening of Bally’s Chicago is traffic, and it’s looking like that could continue to spark arguments in the near future. Fish Transportation Group traffic consultant Tim Doran has assured neighborhood residents that, while it is likely that traffic will see a spike at night due to the Bally’s Chicago Casino opening, rush hour should remain unaffected.

However, some of the area’s residents are dissatisfied as a traffic study planned for the casino project has yet to be finished. With data from the study looking to be released later this week, some of the questions surrounding the potential traffic in the area should be answered. While Bally’s Chicago will operate in a temporary location to start out, the full opening is expected in 2026.

Other Ballys Casino U.S. Locations

The much-anticipated opening of the Ballys Casino River West will be interesting to see. The major casino company already has plenty of resorts located across the U.S., with one of the most popular being Bally’s Atlantic City. That particular resort has a wide range of dining and gaming options, including Guy Fieri’s Chophouse restaurant, a retail FanDuel Sportsbook, and over 80,000 square feet of casino gaming space. Another major Bally’s property can be found in Louisiana with Bally’s Shreveport, which itself has over 1,200 slot machines as well as nightclubs located within the resort.

Other popular Bally’s Casino locations include Bally’s Lake Tahoe in Nevada, Bally’s Black Hawk in Colorado, and Bally’s Evansville in Indiana. The brand is also growing in the sports betting world, with Bally’s Sportsbook Online now available in six states with major wagering markets: New York, Iowa, Colorado, Virginia, Indiana, and Arizona. With sports betting live and legal in Illinois and Bally’s Chicago plans underway, don’t be surprised if Bally’s Online Sportsbook expands into the Land of Lincoln sooner rather than later.