Agreements will enable Waukegan casino to feature sportsbook; ‘It will be an integral part of the casino’
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Plans for a sportsbook at both the American Place casino in Waukegan and The Temporary by American Place will apparently become a reality thanks to a partnership struck between American Place operator Full House Resorts and Circa Sports.
Full House Resorts and Circa Sports announced their partnership Monday assuring a sports wagering facility in the temporary casino planned for Waukegan that will enable people to place bets on sporting events along with wagering at its planned 1,000 slot machines and 50 table games.
Along with a memorandum of understanding between Full House and the city of Waukegan unanimously approved by the City Council May 2, a clearer picture is emerging of the $500 million development and its benefits to the city.
Already operating the world’s largest sportsbook at its Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Circa will make its entry into Illinois when Full House’s temporary casino opens in September, according to a news release issued jointly by Full House and Circa.
Along with operating a sportsbook at the temporary casino, Circa will bring its mobile sports betting app to Illinois enabling people to place wagers on events whether they are in a casino or not, according to the release.
Alex Stolyer, Full House’s senior vice president and chief development officer, said along with the table games, slot machines and dining facilities in the temporary casino, there will be a bar with televisions for sports viewing. Betting will be available at windows and kiosks.
“It will be an integral part of the casino,” he said. “The permanent casino will have a dedicated space like Las Vegas.”
Stolyer said the kiosks spread around the casino will enable people to step away from a slot machine and place a sports bet like they would do on a mobile phone. They will look similar to an ATM.
“It will give you all the odds like you would get on the mobile app,” he said.
When the permanent casino opens with a larger sportsbook, there will be between 60 and 80 television screens for viewing sports events, according to the release. The mobile app will be available throughout Illinois.
With the approval of the memorandum of understanding, there is now a clearer picture of the benefits the city will receive and what the company is obligated to do as it builds the permanent casino.
“The MOU is a big step,” Stolyer said. “There are a lot of economic benefits to the city. This is a commitment to the community of what we will build.”
Stolyer said he anticipates the permanent facility will open two to three years after the temporary casino starts operating. While the temporary casino will be 70,000 square feet, the permanent casino will 325,000 square feet with 2,000 gaming stations, according to the memorandum.
Along with the casino, the resort will feature a “five-star luxury 20-unit boutique suite hotel,” four full service restaurants, a 1,500-seat entertainment venue and a heliport, according to the memorandum. Phase 2 will add a 150-room, four-star hotel. If the company determines the hotel is not feasible, it will spend $50 million on other related improvements.
Full House has agreed to lease the approximately 32 acres of city owned land where most of the casino will be built near the Fountain Square Shopping Center with an option to purchase the real estate, according to the memorandum. Full House also owns 10 adjacent acres.
The city will receive the greater of $3 million a year in rent or 2.5% of the adjusted gross revenue of the operation, according to the memorandum. Any time after the permanent casino opens, Full House can purchase the land for $30 million.
