Waukegan Casino : Opens 2027; Temp casino open now

AMERICAN PLACE WAUKEGAN

4011 Fountain Square Place
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
773-477-9515

American Place Waukegan will be a $375 million casino and hotel built in the Fountain Square area of Waukegan, IL about 35 miles north of Downtown Chicago. Construction will be completed in 2025. An interim casino named "The Temporary by American Place" opened Feb. 17, 2023 and will operate 24/7 until the American Place Waukegan is completed.

The opening of American Place has been delayed until 2027 due to lawsuit filed by the Potawatomi Indian Tribe. (See news story)

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American Place Waukegan

American Place Waukegan will be a luxury gambling resort designed to mostly attract high-roller gamblers. American Place will feature a casino with 1,640 slot machines, 100 gaming tables and a sportsbook. It will include a boutique hotel with 20 villa rooms. There will also be an event center. See American Place Waukegan Renderings.

The Temporary by American Place
4011 Fountain Square Place
Waukegan, IL 6008
773-477-9515
American Place is operating a temporary casino during the construction of the permanent American Place Waukegan. This interim casino, named The Temporary by American Place, opened Feb. 17, 2023.

Casino Location
American Place will be built at Fountain Square, a city-owned property and site of the former Lakehurst Mall. Lakehurst Mall operated from 1971 until it closed in 2004. The location is off Interstate 94 near the intersection of Routes 41, 43 and 120.

Video Tour

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American Place Waukegan Fly Through - Courtesy of Full House Resorts, Oct 12, 2021. Available from YouTube

News Headlines

Waukegan Casino Opening Delayed to 2027 March 28, 2024 - Full House Resorts, which operate The Temporary at American Place in Waukegan, told investors this month the permanent American Place casino hotel will not open until 2027 ... Read more Waukegan Casino: Court Decision Supports "Rigged" Casino Selection Claim August 19, 2023 - Construction of the American Place casino resort in Waukegan, Illinois may be delayed after the Illinois First District Appellate Court sided with the Potawatomi lawsuit ... Read more Waukegan's "The Temporary by American Place" is now open! February 20, 2023 - The Temporary by American Place has opened in Waukegan as an interim casino during construction of American Place Waukegan. The Temporary opened Friday Feb. 17 inside a fabric tent ... Read more Waukegan casino construction update - Nov. 2022 November 12, 2022 - The Temporary by American Place is nearing completion in Waukegan, IL. The Temporary is an interim casino that will operate during construction of the American Place Waukegan casino hotel. ... Read more Waukegan's "The Temporary" casino opens Oct-Dec 2022 June 30, 2022 - During construction of the American Place Waukegan, an interim casino will operate 24/7 with 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, three restaurants and a bar located inside a ... Read more More Headlines ...

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The Temporary by American Place

American Place opened an interim casino to operate during construction of the permanent American Place Waukegan casino scheduled to open in 2025. The interim casino is named "The Temporary by American Place" and opened in Feb. 2023.

The Temporary features include:

• 1,000 slot machines
• 50 table games
• Sportsbook
• Three restaurants and a bar:
  L'Americain, Asia-Azteca, North Shore Steaks & Seafood, and Canoe Bar

This drawing shows the east elevation of The Temporary with the entrance on the right and support trailers on the left. The main building is a 68,900-square-foot fabric tent structure for housing the casino, restaurants and bars. The external trailers include kitchen trailers, staff trailers and a diner making the total size 92,500 square feet.

This rendering shows a restaurant inside The Temporary by American Place.

After The Temporary opened, there became a three-year deadline to complete the construction of the permanent American Place Waukegan. The grand opening of American Place is expected to be in 2025.

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Features of American Place Waukegan

Gaming

Restaurants

Entertainment Venue

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Hotel

Renderings of American Place Waukegan

CASINO DRIVE-UP ENTRANCE

THE MANSION - Boutique Hotel

ATRIUM

CASINO - View 1

CASINO - View 2

History of Waukegan Casino

The Rebuild Illinois Law enacted in June 2019 authorizes one casino license to be issued for a new casino in Waukegan, Illinois. Six casino applicants submitted casino proposals before the filing deadline Aug 5, 2021, and two finalists were selected.

The two remaining applicants for the Waukegan casino license made presentations of their proposals to the Illinois Gaming Board on Oct. 13, 2021. The two casinos under consideration were:

• American Place
  Full House Resorts

• North Point Casino
  Lakeside Casino LLC

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American Place Proposal

AMERICAN PLACE is proposed by Full House Resorts, a Las Vegas company.

Cost: $375 million

Location: Fountain Square, Waukegan, IL

Casino: 1,640 slot machines, 100 gaming tables and a retail sportsbook

Restaurants: ive restaurants

Entertainment: 1,500-seat entertainments venue

Hotel: 20-villa boutique hotel

For additional information, visit the American Place website.

North Point Casino Proposal

NORTH POINT CASINO is proposed by Lakeside Casino LLC, a joint venture of Warner Gaming and Tap Room Gaming.

Cost: $452 million

Location: Fountain Square, Waukegan, IL

Casino: 81,500 square-foot casino with 2,000 gaming positions, a 5,300 square-foot sportsbook for onsite and online betting.

Restaurants: an upscale steakhouse, the Lakeshore Cafe and a food hall.

Entertainment: Indoor live entertainment venue with 600 - 800 seats and an outdoor amphitheater with 5,000 - 7,000 seats.

Hotel: 200 rooms with AAA Four Diamond standards, spa/salon, fitness center and a rooftop pool.

Conference Center: 14,000 square-foot multipurpose venue for conferences and events.

Retail: Retail and entertainment district.

Parking: Five-level garage and surface parking for 1,900 vehicles.

For additional information, visit the North Point Casino website.

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News Articles

Waukegan Casino Opening Delayed to 2027

March 28, 2024

Full House Resorts, which operate The Temporary at American Place in Waukegan, told investors this month the permanent American Place casino hotel will not open until 2027.

Construction is delayed pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the Forest County Potawatomi Community in Wisconsin against the city of Waukegan and the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). The tribe claims it did not have a fair opportunity to bid on the Waukegan casino, because the bidding process was "rigged".

The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to review the case and a ruling is expected in early 2025. In the meantime, The Temporary at American Place will continue to operate until 2027 under a gaming permit issued by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB).

The Forest County Potawatomi Community own and operate the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee and the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Carter, Wisconsin.

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Waukegan Casino: Court Decision Supports "Rigged" Casino Selection Claim

August 19, 2023

Construction of the American Place casino resort in Waukegan, Illinois may be delayed after the Illinois First District Appellate Court sided with the Forest County Potawatomi Community, who claimed the City of Waukegan violated state rules for selecting a casino.

The Potawatomi believe that former Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham "rigged" the casino selection process by instructing the Waukegan City Council members which final three bids to approve. The Potawatomi bid was not included.

The case will now be revived in the lower court or appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.

The owner of American Place Waukegan is Full House Resorts, which made these comments last week after the court decision:

"(This decision) may end up delaying our start of construction and financing for a final casino structure. We haven't started construction yet, but we are actively designing it. I think ultimately the suits will end up being resolved and then everything can go forward."

- Dan Lee, CEO Full House Resorts

Forest County Potawatomi Attorney General, Jeff Crawford, released a written statement after the court decision that said "pulling the current casino license and relaunching the selection process would remedy Potawatomi's claims."

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Waukegan's "The Temporary by American Place" is now open!

February 20, 2023

The Temporary by American Place has opened in Waukegan as an interim casino during construction of American Place Waukegan. The Temporary opened Friday Feb. 17 inside a 68,900-square-foot fabric tent with 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, Circa Sportsbook, three restaurants and a bar.

The $400 million American Place is scheduled to open in 2025 and feature a casino, 1,500-seat entertainment venue, five restaurants, helipad, 150-room hotel and a 20-villa boutique hotel. The casino will have 1,700 slot machines, 100 gaming tables and a sportsbook.

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Waukegan casino construction update - Nov. 2022

November 12, 2022

The Temporary by American Place is nearing completion in Waukegan, IL. The Temporary is an interim casino that will operate during construction of the American Place Waukegan casino and hotel. The grand opening of The Temporary is expected within the next three months.

Photo Nov. 1, 2022

The Temporary by American Place Casino is a casino project of Full House Resorts. CEO Daniel R. Lee said this week the decor work is finishing up and preparation is underway to install the slot machines. Nearly 800 slot machines will be installed this month and testing will begin before the end of this month.

"As with all new casino openings, we have an extensive checklist to complete prior to welcoming our first customers. Therefore, while the company expects to open the casino within the next three months, the precise opening date is still uncertain."

- CEO Daniel R. Lee

There have been two job fairs in the past two week to hire full-time and part-time employees in preparation for the casino opening. The Temporary casino will feature 800+ slots machines, 20+ table games, a Circa sportsbook and three full-service restaurants.

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Waukegan's "The Temporary" casino opens Oct-Dec 2022

June 30, 2022

During construction of the American Place Waukegan, an interim casino will operate 24/7 with 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, three restaurants and a bar located inside a temporary structure. The casino, named The Temporary by American Place, will will open later this year and operate until the permanent American Place Waukegan opens in 2025.

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The Temporary - Construction Sequencing - Courtesy of Legat Architects, Jun 22, 2022. Available from YouTube

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American Place Waukegan Update - June 2022

June 23, 2022

American Place will open a temporary casino later this year, which will operate for the duration of the construction of the permanent American Place Waukegan. The temporary casino will be built at the same site as the permanent casino and will be named "The Temporary by American Place."

The Temporary will open between October and December of this year and operate until the permanent casino opens in 2025. It will feature 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, three restaurants and a bar.

The Temporary will be a tent structure with external trailer offices. This drawing shows the east elevation with the entrance on the right and office trailers on the left. A concrete pad has been laid, and the tent structure is expected to be raised in the next few weeks.

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Illinois Gaming Board selects American Place for Waukegan casino

December 14, 2021

The Illinois Gaming Board on Wednesday approved a casino for Waukegan. The board selected and approved the American Place casino project proposed by Full House Resorts, a Las Vegas company.

American Place Waukegan is designed as a luxury gambling resort to attract high-roller gamblers. It will be built on city-owned land at Fountain Square off Interstate 94 near the intersection of Routes 41, 43 and 120

American Place plans to build a temporary gambling facility to operate during the construction of the permanent American Place casino and hotel.

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Potawatomi Tribe claims Waukegan casino license is a 'rigged process'

November 24, 2021

The long, long process to select a applicant for the Waukegan casino license has become longer. The Illinois Gaming Board delayed the selection process Thursday citing a lawsuit filed by the Forest County Potawatomi Indian Tribe.

The tribe was one of four original applicants to submit a casino proposal to the city two years ago. The Potawatomi proposal was rated high by a city consultant; however, it was the first to be eliminated. A second applicant withdrew recently. The remaining Waukegan casino proposals are American Place and North Point Casino.

The North Point Casino proposal is headed by Michael Bond, a former state senator who runs Tap Room Gaming, a slot machine business.

Soon after the city rejected the Potawatomi proposal in 2019, the tribe filed a lawsuit against Waukegan. That lawsuit was unsealed this week revealing the following content:

"Potawatomi lawyers alleged former Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham told aldermen which bids to approve, 'the culmination of a rigged process.' Mr. Bond poured thousands of dollars into local elections through his video gambling machine company Tap Room Gaming ahead of the state gambling expansion."

- Chicago Sun Times

The Forest County Potawatomi Indians own the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee. Attorneys for Waukegan have countered that the Potawatomi filed their lawsuit to protect their Milwaukee casino from competition. They claim "this scorched earth lawsuit is factually suspect".

The Illinois Gaming Board says its decision to delay the final selection for the Waukegan casino license is not related to the Potawatomi lawsuit.

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WAUKEGAN CASINO APPLICANT
Potawatomi Apply for Waukegan Casino License

August 6, 2019

Potawatomi Hotel an Cdasino filed an application yesterday with the City of Waukegan, Illinois to build a commercial casino and entertainment venue under the Rebuild Illinois Law enacted last June.

The Rebuild Illinois Law enacted last June authorizes building new casinos in Waukegan and five other cities. The Potawatomi casino project in Waukegan would be licensed and regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board and not the National Indian Gaming Commission.

In a press release yesterday, the CEO & GM of Potawatomi Casino Hotel Rodney Ferguson said:

"The city of Waukegan is in search of a qualified developer to bring a first-class entertainment experience with their new casino. Having successfully operated in this gaming market for several decades, Potawatomi Casino Hotel is a natural fit to develop this project and create the entertainment destination that Waukegan is seeking."

The Potawatomi tribe has deep ancestral roots to the Waukegan area. It is located within the Potawatomi treaty lands.

WAUKEGAN CASINO APPLICANT
Lakeside Casino LLC

Lakeside Casino LLC is a partnership between Warner Gaming, a Las Vegas-based casino developer, and Tap Room Gaming, a Waukegan video gambling terminal operator.

Details of this proposal have not yet been released by the company nor the city.

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News Headlines Continued

2022

American Place Waukegan Update - June 2022 June 23, 2022 - American Place will open a temporary casino later this year, which will operate for the duration of the construction of the permanent American Place Waukegan. The temporary casino will be named "The ... Read more

2021

Illinois Gaming Board selects American Place for Waukegan casino December 14, 2021 - The Illinois Gaming Board on Wednesday approved a casino for Waukegan. The board selected and approved the American Place casino project proposed by Full House Resorts ... Read more Potawatomi Tribe claims Waukegan casino license is a 'rigged process' November 24, 2021 - The long, long process to select a applicant for the Waukegan casino license has become longer. The Illinois Gaming Board delayed the selection process Thursday ... Read more

2019

Potawatomi Apply for Waukegan Casino License August 6, 2019 - Potawatomi Hotel and Casino filed an application yesterday with the City of Waukegan, Illinois to build a commercial casino and entertainment venue under the Rebuild Illinois Law enacted last June. ... Read more