Chicago City Wire

On Friday, city officials declared the five competing bids for Chicago's first casino as per Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan, and she even declared that she plans to send the final list to the Illinois Gaming Board sometime around the first quarter of 2022, according to the Chicago Tribune.

"NEWS: The City of Chicago is releasing a summary of five proposals received through its RFP process to create a world-class casino-resort and entertainment experience in Chicago.
 To view the executive summaries, visit Chicago.gov/chicagocasino," tweeted Ryan Johnson, Mayor Lightfoot's deputy director of communications.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been planning to open Chicago’s first casino since she took office in 2019, the Tribune reported. The mayor mentioned to the Chicago Sun Times that she is “very excited by the proposals” because they were “all very interesting, very robust and very well thought out.”

Bally’s Corporation submitted two of the proposals, according to the Chicago Tribune: one would be a $1.8 billion project in the Chicago Tribune Publishing Center, and the other would be a $1.6 billion project in McCormick Place. Rivers Chicago also submitted a proposal for a $1.3 billion project at the McCormick Place. The other two proposals were a $1.7 billion project by Hard Rock International at ONE Central and a $2 billion project by Rush Street Gaming, LLC. Lightfoot has said that all the proposals are being considered equally, and she will select one in “early 2022” which will then go through the City Council approval process.

Although casinos bring in tax revenue, the National Gambling Impact Study Commission’s 1999 report found that people with gambling addictions have a “tendency” to commit crimes. A 2006 Grinols-Mustard study found that casinos bring “significant” increases in aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, auto theft, larceny, and rape.