Bally's transitional casino in Chicago's Medinah Temple observed a decrease in its average daily revenue in October, its first full month in operations. As per the Chicago Sun-Times, it generated north of $7.6 million, falling 12% short compared to the preceding weeks and not meeting city tax revenue estimates.
Crain's Chicago Business reported adjusted gross revenue of about $245,446 per day in October, down from an average of $278,268 from its opening on September 9 through month-end. Despite the drop, the facility continues to occupy a prominent spot in the Illinois Gaming Board's roster of the state's 15 casinos.
Meanwhile, the new gaming venue saw its average daily admission drop by nearly 20% compared to its inaugural weeks. Bally's recorded over 83,000 entries in October, averaging 2,681 visits per day, a decline from the initial 3,347 daily entries.
As of now, Bally's transitional location has contributed close to $1.5 million in tax revenue to the city's coffers. Despite this, it is still a long way off from the $12.8 million objective established by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot for 2023. Current Mayor Brandon Johnson insisted on Bally's responsibility to "continue to do its part to market, and to encourage, and to deliver."
Bally's is also poised to become a round-the-clock operation. Medinah Temple's operational hours will be stretched beyond its existing 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. shutdown period in hopes of propelling revenue further and attracting the local gaming community.
