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As announced last week, the Bally’s temporary Chicago casino in the historic Medinah Temple will run a 24-hour business starting today (Dec. 27) at 8 a.m.
Since opening the Medinah Temple temporary location at 600 N. Wabash Ave. on Sept. 9, Bally’s Chicago has been limited to a 20-hour daily schedule. It was closing from 4 a.m. till 8 a.m.
As of today, the casino’s Wabash Café will operate around the clock, while Kitchen 888, Medinah Bistro and Circle Bar will maintain their usual hours.
Bally’s is expected to replace the temporary location with a casino resort and hotel in River West in 2026.
Benefits for Bally Rewards cardholders
The 34,000-square-foot site features around 800 slot machines, 56 table games, restaurants and bars. These are spread across three levels within the 111-year-old historic landmark.
The building initially served as headquarters for the Shriners fraternal organization. To accommodate new members, Bally’s casino is offering:
- $25 slot play
- $25 table bet
- Free parking at 50 E. Ohio St
Furthermore, the casino says it will match players’ tier and offer from “an eligible Chicagoland casino, up to $200.”
Officials said Bally’s cardholders can present their parking tickets for validation upon leaving the casino. In addition to free or discounted parking, Bally’s Casino offers dedicated shuttle routes at several locations in the city.
The shuttle service is available to customers coming from the areas near the Chinatown Library (near Wentworth and 28th Street and Wentworth and Archer). Bally’s plans to expand services to other parts of the city.
Bally’s Chicago 24/7 operation is a vital step to increase visitation
Announcing 24/7 operations, parking and shuttle services, Mark Wong, vice president and general manager of Bally’s Chicago Casino, said in a Fox 32 Chicago news post:
“Opening our doors 24/7 is clearly an important step as we continue to increase our visitation. For November we were the second most visited casino in the state, and we saw our highest guest admissions to date. This is a progression towards attaining the goals we set out to achieve and gives us similar hours to other local casino properties.”
During the first three months of operation, the Illinois casino generated nearly $2.24 million in tax revenue for Chicago police and firefighter pensions.
Bally’s expects to open its permanent location at Medinah by September 2026, with the construction expected to begin next summer. The company will construct a $1.3 billion casino along the Chicago River at the current Chicago Tribune printing operation site.
Tribune Publishing agreed with Bally’s to remove its Freedom Center printing plant in the River West neighborhood by July 2024.
Apart from constructing and eventually opening a permanent casino site, Bally’s will support the city’s economic development by creating various career opportunities.
