The Medinah Temple sits at 600 N. Wabash Ave. on March 14, 2023, in Chicago. The building is scheduled to house a temporary casino built by Bally's. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
After two days of rehearsal events, the Bally's Casino at Medinah Temple in River North will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, a temporary site before a permanent casino is constructed in Chicago's West Loop.
According to Bally's, the casino includes three levels of gaming with 56 table games and nearly 800 slot machines, with full-service casino bars on the first and third floors.
The casino's opening marks the first casino to open in Chicago city limits, culminating a years-long effort from city officials that later became a prime objective of previous mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration.
The opening follows two "regulatory rehearsal events" held at the casino on Wednesday and Thursday, necessary to gain approval for a full opening.
Construction on the permanent Bally's facility at 777 West Chicago Avenue is expected to begin in 2024.
According to officials, the permanent casino will feature a 500-room hotel, 3,400 slot machines, 173 table games and 10 food venues. Also planned is a 3,000-seat entertainment center, as well as a 20,000 sq. foot "museum venue," officials say.
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