Hundreds of slot machines, dozens of table games — like blackjack, roulette and craps — along with a variety of restaurants were always part of the plan when American Place opened its temporary casino more than two years ago while planning a permanent gaming resort to open a few years later.
Initially, Jeff Babinski, American Place’s vice president and general manager, said a poker room was something that would wait until the permanent facility opened. Then, he had second thoughts and a decision to open one in the temporary facility was made.
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“It’s not a huge part of what we do, and it was something we planned for the permanent,” he said. “We heard from our guests it was something they would like to see. So, we decided not to wait.”
American Place and Waukegan officials cut a ribbon to officially open the casino’s six-table Harbor Poker Room Saturday in Waukegan adding another activity as its profitability continues to grow.
Before the poker room opened this month, American Place owner Full House Resorts released its second-quarter earnings report with record net revenue and operating profit for American Place. Babinski also met with city officials several times to discuss plans for the permanent facility.
Located in the northeast portion of the long, prefabricated tentlike structure adjacent to the Circa sportsbook, two of the tables in the poker room were occupied at noon Saturday and an hour later four games were underway.
One of the players was John Kosmach of Antioch. He said he liked the 15-mile drive from home to American Place, making it closer than other casinos in the Chicago area or southern Wisconsin. He also likes the minimum $300 buy-in rather than $400 at other places.
“That’s the most you can lose,” Kosmach said. “Everyone is friendly. You can start with a $1 bet and a $3 raise. This place is friendlier than most.”
Before the poker room officially opened, Julie Ivic, American Place’s director of communications, said there was a “playdate” where a few invited guests could play. Required by the Illinois Gaming Board, it is actual gambling with real money to make sure there are no kinks that need to be worked out.
One of those guests who helped fill two tables was Lake County Board Vice Chair Mary Ross Cunningham, D-Waukegan. She, too, said the atmosphere was enjoyable. She said she likes the idea of a place to play close to home.
“Everyone was very happy, whether they were winning or losing,” Cunningham said. “This is a nice, safe place to play.
For Waukegan Park District Commissioner Anton Mathews, the poker room will give him a chance to test his poker skills. He may well be playing at American Place with highly skilled or lesser-skilled people.
“It will be exciting,” Mathews said. “I might learn something as well.”
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, Mary Ross Cummingham’s son, was one of six people holding giant scissors for the ribbon cutting. A proposed $500 million project when the permanent facility is complete, will be the biggest development in the city’s history.
Making a concerted effort to improve the city’s infrastructure, redevelop both the downtown and lakefront areas, Cunningham said the American Place Resort and Casino is an important step for the city more than 20 years in the making.
“This project is just another step in rebuilding Waukegan,” he said. “It will be the validation of all the effort of everyone involved, and what it took to bring this to Waukegan. This will draw people from Illinois and Wisconsin.”
Babinski said he has made several trips to City Hall, including last week, to talk with officials about plans for the permanent casino. He hopes to present plans to the Waukegan Planning and Zoning Commission in September. Once everything is approved, he anticipates opening the permanent facility within two years.
“We’re just doing some tweaks,” he said.
Daniel R. Lee, the chief executive officer of Full House Resorts, said in an Aug. 5 news release that American Place is making a positive financial contribution to the company’s overall fiscal performance.
Overall revenue for the company was $73.9 million for the quarter that ended June 30, representing an overall increase of 0.6% from the same time in 2024. America Place was a major contributor to the company’s increased earnings
“This strong performance reflects the growing awareness and popularity of American Place throughout Chicago’s populous northern suburbs,” Lee said in the release. “Over the coming quarters, we expect the financial results for our temporary American Place casino to continue to improve, as we add a poker room and continue to build awareness in the region.”