Construction kicked off for a permanent American Place Casino in Waukegan during a Wednesday groundbreaking event, with officials promising hundreds of jobs, new revenue streams and a rebuilding of Waukegan.
Anticipated to open in 2028, the new casino facility will be 200,000 square feet, featuring 1,300 slot machines, 80 gaming tables, three full-service restaurants and bars, according to American Place Vice President Jeff Babinski.
The Temporary casino is 100,000 square feet, with 905 slot machines and 43 gaming tables, all inside a large white tent. It’s in its third year of operation since opening in February of 2023. The new permanent facility will sit on 42 acres just east of the tent. According to Babinski, the new casino will employ more than 700 on staff.
Between the temporary casino and the future permanent facility, Waukegan’s American Place Casino represents an almost $500 million investment by owner Full House Resorts. The tent and existing infrastructure cost about $150 million, Babinski said. The permanent casino will cost more than $300 million.
Phase 1, as it was described on Wednesday morning, will be the construction of the entire new casino.
Speaking at the groundbreaking, Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham called the casino one of the largest economic development projects in the city’s history. It will create 400 construction jobs and help turn the city into an “economic engine” for the region, he said.
Northeast Lake County has not seen the “same type of success or economic development as our counterparts in the Chicago region,” Cunningham said. The casino will be a “catalyst” for rebuilding Waukegan, he said, bringing in critical revenue and helping attract future development.
“We understand that if we want to continue to be a part of progress, not only for the state of Illinois but for our city, that we must create economic opportunities,” the mayor said.
Cunningham heaped praise on state officials for their efforts backing the development after it faced challenges related to a lawsuit from the Forest County Potawatomi Community that temporarily stalled the development.
The Temporary casino had originally been scheduled to operate until August 2027, Babinski said. But, it was granted an extension, allowing it to continue operating while the permanent facility is built, after the Potawatomi lawsuit scrambled timelines.
Wednesday’s groundbreaking was more than 30 years in the making, Cunningham said, with initial efforts first beginning in 1992 and continuing through multiple mayoral administrations.
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“We kept the vision, and we stuck to our motto, ‘City of Progress.’ Now we’re on a mission to rebuild it,” he said.
New casinos can be sources of controversy in the community, such as concerns over gambling addiction. Cunningham acknowledged the issue, saying officials “can’t fool ourselves” about reality. Some may fall into the “vice,” he said.
But Cunningham argued there are community support structures in place today that can handle such challenges, including in recent legislation. Senate Bill 2749 passed both houses in May, expanding the state’s Substance Use Disorder Act to include services for those with gambling disorders.
“Our state legislators, along with our governor, have put in great preventative measures,” the mayor said. “There’s a process in place to handle that.”
Full House also owns casinos and hotels in Mississippi, Colorado, Indiana and Nevada.