Waukegan casino third in the state in drawing customers
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Since opening in February, The Temporary by American Place in Waukegan is drawing more customers than all but two of Illinois’ 13 established casinos, and is in the top half for gross adjusted revenue.
Of the 13 casinos operating in Illinois, The Temporary by American Place and the Golden Nugget in Danville are the only temporary operations. The other 11 are all permanent casinos, operating for decades in some places.
“We’re pleased as we keep improving and moving in the right direction,” said Alex Stolyar, the senior vice president and chief development officer for American Place owner Full House Resorts.
The Temporary by American Place ranks third among the state’s 13 casinos in average monthly attendance, and sixth in monthly gross adjusted revenue for the first six months of this year, according to Illinois Gaming Board reports.
On an average monthly basis, the Waukegan casino is drawing 70,107 visitors, putting it 321 ahead of the Hollywood Casino Aurora and 1,812 ahead of Draft Kings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis. Both opened in 1993.
Collecting an average of $7.5 million in monthly adjusted gross revenue, The Temporary by American Place is sixth-best among Illinois casinos. It trails Hollywood Casino Joliet by approximately $200,000 and Hollywood Casino Aurora by around $800,000. It is $700,000 ahead of Draft Kings at Casino Queen.
Leading the state in both categories is the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, with an average of 251,700 monthly visitors and $45.5 million in average monthly gross adjusted revenue.
Jeff Babinski, American Place’s vice president and general manager, said adjusted gross revenue for a casino listed publicly by the state is the total amount wagered, minus winnings paid.
“Each week, the team is making strides,” Babinski said. “We’re operating in a location without a gaming operation. In Waukegan, this is a new location without a history and we expect continued improvement.”
When the casino opened in February, there were an abundance of slot machines and 28 table games. Babinski said there are now a full complement of 48 table games, including blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, and some forms of poker.
Another person happy with the casino’s performance since it opened Feb. 17 is Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor. She said in an email Monday she is pleased with what she has seen so far, and is happy with its impact on Waukegan.
“I am delighted by the numbers of people that are coming,” Taylor said in the email. “I am encouraged by this trend and look forward to seeing them grow as Waukegan’s Fountain Square continues to develop.”
Since the casino opened in Waukegan, it has generated more than $3.5 million in taxes for the state and nearly $1.8 million shared by Waukegan, North Chicago and Park City. Waukegan receives the majority.
Stolyar said he hopes to see the performance improve over the rest of the year. A third restaurant — North Shore Steak and Seafood — is scheduled to open later this summer and the sportsbook is planned for late August or early September.
“We’re new to the market, and we keep improving,” Stolyar said. “Our competition has been in this market for decades. Every month we keep doing better and better. We’ll keep working to do that.”
