A groundbreaking expected early next year on a permanent resort and casino in Waukegan, a 14% increase in revenue over the past 12 months and the introduction of live music concerts are contributing to the growth of the American Place Casino.
Alex Stolyar, the senior vice president and chief development officer of American Place owner Full House Resorts, said after receiving approval from the Waukegan City Council in September for the permanent facility’s site plan, the company is putting the finishing touches on its final financing package.
“We hope to have everything in place to start construction in early 2026,” Stolyar said. “We’re looking at opening in August of 2027, but it could be a little longer.”
When Full House issued its third-quarter earnings on Nov. 6, it credited American Place with a significant contribution to its success with record-setting revenue, according to a news release announcing the earnings totals.
“American Place continues to deliver outstanding growth, setting new records for revenue and profitability in the third quarter,” Daniel R. Lee, Full House’s CEO, said in the release.
After introducing stand-up comedy at The Lighthouse at American Place Casino in January, Jeff Babinski, the casino’s vice president and general manager, said music concerts in a variety of genres will add another element of entertainment.
“We see no reason to wait for the permanent (casino) to give players another reason to come here,” Babinski said.
Seals & Crofts II, relatives of the original duo, will open The Lighthouse’s music series at 8 p.m. Saturday at the American Place Casino in Waukegan, adding another feature to complement slot machines, table games, three restaurants, a sports book and more.
Playing many of the tunes made popular by Seals & Crofts, Brady Seals, a cousin of Jim Seals of the original band, and Lua Crofts, the daughter of Dan Crofts, put their own spin on the music, according to an American Place release.
Babinski said the Seals and Crofts II repertoire is in line with the music American Place intends to bring to the Lighthouse with its “old time rock and roll” sound. Adding jazz at times, the music will be appropriate for a “lounge setting.”
“In this setting, we don’t want to have woofers and tweeters that will blow your ears off,” he said. “This is a place where people can chill and listen to good music. People can have dinner, listen to the show for 90 minutes and then try their luck at our slot machines or table games.”
Comedian Tom Arnold is scheduled to perform at The Lighthouse on Dec. 12.
When construction starts on the permanent casino, Stolyar said it will not create any issues with operations at the temporary facility, which opened more than two years ago.
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“There will be a construction fence,” he said. “They will see the permanent getting built. It will not interfere with the temporary casino.”
When the permanent American Place opens, there will be 1,250 slot machines and between 70 and 80 table games. Babinski said there are 906 slots at the temporary casino. Poker will be played in an actual room rather than a corner of the operation.
While the sports book is now located in an open area at the east end of the casino, when the permanent operation opens, it will be inside one of the restaurants with a bar. There will also be a 20-suite luxury hotel. Rather than remove the temporary facility, it will become a 75,000-square-foot event space.
Along with a 14% increase in revenue to $32 million, Lee said American Place’s customer database recently exceeded 115,000. Babinski said members are people who join the AP rewards program, earning points that lead to certain rewards and benefits.
“It helps us develop relationships with people so we can help them have a great experience here,” he said. “We want them to feel valued.”
With the holiday season ready to start, American Place is collecting hygiene products for the Veterans Assistance Fund at Waukegan’s Cool Ministries, according to a news release. They are also working with the Salvation Army to decorate 10 trees for Lake County families.