GLPI Confirms Progress on Bally’s $1.19 Billion Chicago Casino Resort

Chicago’s River West neighborhood is turning into the site of one of the country’s most ambitious casino projects. Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) has confirmed progress on its $1.19 billion investment in Bally’s Corporation’s flagship casino resort, a development that is expected to reshape the city’s entertainment scene.

Good to know

• The resort is being built on the old Chicago Tribune site and will open in late 2026.
• The project includes a 178,000 sq. ft. casino, a luxury hotel, and a redesigned riverwalk.
• Bally’s has launched a community investment round giving locals a chance to own a stake.

The scale of the new destination is hard to miss. Plans call for more than 3,300 slot machines, 170 table games, and a 500-room luxury hotel. Visitors will also find dining, nightlife venues, event spaces, and outdoor green areas along a revitalized riverwalk. The project is being positioned as a cultural anchor for Chicago, blending gaming with hospitality and community spaces.

Construction Progress

GLPI’s latest update detailed major milestones already reached. Demolition of the Tribune buildings is finished, caissons are in place, trench excavation is complete, and the first crane for steel erection is assembled.

Work now underway includes foundation concrete pours, rebar and formwork installation, and underground electrical and plumbing. Steel deliveries are arriving regularly, with visible progress along Chicago Avenue.

In the coming months, construction will shift to vertical concrete for the hotel tower, large-scale steel erection for the casino floor, and preparation for additional cranes. Curtainwall fabrication for both the casino and hotel has already started.

Strategic Importance for Bally’s

For Bally’s, the Chicago project plays a central role in its “Bally’s 2.0” strategy, which focuses on reshaping the company through regional growth and asset realignment. The operator recently sold its international interactive arm to Intralot to sharpen its focus on US casino expansion.

The Chicago buildout is more than just another property—it’s positioned as Bally’s flagship destination, representing the brand’s push to combine gaming with world-class hospitality.

One feature that sets the project apart is its community investment plan. Bally’s launched its first round last month, giving Chicago residents the opportunity to take a direct financial stake in the development. That approach ties the casino more closely to the local community and reflects an effort to share the project’s long-term success with the city’s residents.

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