Bally’s Chicago made history this past month as the first regulated casino to open in the Windy City.
Revenue-wise, the casino’s opening was a success, according to September data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Bally’s Chicago generated $6.7 million in adjusted gross revenue (revenue minus promotions and other deductions).
It was the fifth-most revenue generated from gambling in the state despite being open six fewer days than the state’s 15 other casinos.
The casino’s revenue numbers are impressive, considering it’s a temporary facility. We expect revenue to climb steadily over the next few months as more Chicago residents visit the property.
Per-person, daily revenue totals signal good days ahead for Bally’s Chicago
Analyzing an Illinois casino’s adjusted gross revenue is typically a simple task when looking at the total AGR provided by the Illinois Gaming Board’s monthly revenue report.
However, September’s numbers were novel because Bally’s Chicago was open for 24 of 30 operating days. So, while total AGR can be insightful, it also helps to look at how much revenue the casino generated per person and day.
Here’s how the top five revenue-per-person casinos looked last month:
- Rivers Casino: $56.72 AGR
- Bally’s Chicago: $29.96 AGR
- Grand Victoria Casino: $27.88 AGR
- Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel: $25.44 AGR
- Hollywood Casino Aurora: $25.26 AGR
Bally’s Chicago earned the second-most AGR per person this past month. Additionally, it had the second-most admissions, too, at 80,330.
Daily revenue totals for the new Chicago casino were strong, too. Here’s a look at the top five casinos for AGR earned per day:
- Rivers Casino: $1.4 million AGR
- Grand Victoria Casino: $414,286 AGR
- Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel: $365,026 AGR
- Bally’s Chicago: $278,268 AGR
- Hollywood Casino Aurora: $277,223 AGR
Though Bally’s Chicago was fifth in total AGR, it edged out Hollywood Casino Aurora for the fourth-most AGR per day.
The total revenue for the Illinois casino generated more than $860,000 in taxes for the state. And more than $690,000 in tax revenue for the local area, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.
What can we expect from Bally’s Chicago in September?
Predicting where Bally’s Casino revenue will go in the coming months is a tough task based on last year’s data. The state had 11 casinos in the fall of 2022 compared to 15 now.
Here’s how the AGR numbers looked last fall and winter on a per-casino basis:
| Month | Total Revenue | Per-casino Revenue | % change (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2022 | $117,326,539.64 | $10,666,049.06 | N/A |
| September 2022 | $113,812,497.78 | $10,346,590.71 | -3.00% |
| October 2022 | $115,958,384.13 | $10,541,671.28 | 1.89% |
| November 2022 | $113,990,258.47 | $10,362,750.77 | -1.70% |
| December 2022 | $114,411,776.66 | $10,401,070.61 | 0.37% |
Based on these numbers, we can expect a lot of up-and-down revenue movement for the state’s casinos. However, because Bally’s Chicago is new and it’s yet to reach its maturity, there’s a very good chance it will buck the yo-yo trend and post positive monthly AGR gains through December as it gains new customers.
