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State of Play’s TL;DR
- A former contractor at the Bally’s Chicago River West casino site has filed a lien on the property.
- MGM Excavating claims it has not been paid by Bally’s for work it did on the casino in Chicago.
Bally’s Chicago is facing mechanics lien claims for more than $3.8 million from a former contractor that says it has not been paid for work completed at the operator’s River West casino site through March.
The dispute adds another legal and financial complication for Bally’s Chicago’s planned $1.7 billion casino complex.
MGM Excavating filed the liens last month in Cook County Circuit Court against Bally’s Chicago and the Chicago Community Builders Collective.
Contractor says subcontractors are also owed money
MGM Excavating’s claim covers work it says was completed at the site through March. The filing seeks more than $3.8 million, according to the Chicago Times.
That total also includes money MGM says is owed to two minority-owned subcontractors it hired for the project:
- B.B.D. Trucking: $2 million
- E. King Construction Co.: $700,000
Bally’s Chicago has not responded to the lien filings.
Dispute lands as project faces broader pressure
The payment fight comes as Bally’s Chicago is also dealing with a construction slowdown at the River West development.
The company recently disclosed a “going concern” warning tied to liquidity issues, raising the stakes around any new dispute connected to the flagship Chicago casino buildout.
While mechanics liens are a common tool contractors use to pursue payment on large construction jobs, the filing is notable because it affects one of the highest-profile casino developments in the US market. Bally’s Chicago’s project has been positioned as a major long-term, land-based gaming investment for the company.
What comes next will likely depend on how Bally’s Chicago and the Chicago Community Builders Collective respond to the court filings, and whether the payment claims are contested or resolved.
Based on reporting by Robert Channick for the Chicago Tribune.
