Or he could ditch the whole thing and potentially see the budget shortfall grow. He could keep the escalator in place and break a pivotal campaign promise not to raise property taxes. Lightfoot’s historically low shortfall assumes Johnson will not repeal the automatic escalator that ties annual property tax increases to the inflation rate. Mayor Johnson isn’t taking Lightfoot’s word on the city’s financesīefore leaving office, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the city faced an estimated $85 million shortfall that’s among the lowest in recent Chicago history.īut Mayor Brandon Johnson is doing his own fiscal forecast and holding a series of community roundtables next month before giving an update on the city’s financial health, reports my colleague Fran Spielman. A majority of the roughly 750 slot machines take up the first floor, along with a cafe. “The new layout is like a layer cake of casino games under Medinah’s rotunda, with escalators and glass-door elevators - both positioned in front of the walled-off temple stage - connecting three floors of temptations,” writes my colleague Mitchell Armentrout.Ī massive bar is near the entrance, giving “a great sense of arrival” for guests, says Mark Wong, vice president and general manager of Bally’s Chicago Casino. The 111-year-old Medinah Temple is expected to open its doors as a casino this summer.Īnd Bally’s gave the Chicago Sun-Times an early look at the temporary gambling house, which, pending approval from state regulators, will likely be taking bets for the next three years as a permanent gambling complex is constructed in the River West neighborhood. An early look inside Bally’s temporary casino in downtown Chicago

and my other dog, Princess Leia, is asking for treats every 30 minutes. Good afternoon! Today is the longest day of the year, which I could immediately tell because my 1-year-old dog, Sassy, woke up at 5 a.m. To stay up to date on the stories that matter.

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information.

The casino club chicago