Chicago Mayor Extends Casino Bidding Process
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced the tender process for a casino development in downtown Chicago is to be extended from originally August 23rd to October 29th.
The process is not attracting the casino operators the Mayor had hoped for with MGM Resorts already stating it will not take part and the only interested party is Rush Street Gaming which already runs casinos within the state.
However the mayor has connections with Rush Street through donations to her running for the mayoral role with the Chairman’s daughter of Rush Street Gaming Leslie donating funds of $100,000.
Giving the tender to just one candidate and that being Rush Street would cause political questioning and so the mayor is looking for other interested parties and hence the extension.
However many operators believe the tax burden to operate a casino in the tourist part of the city is too high and would only leave a wafer thin profit margin.
“Extending the deadline for interested bidders will allow the City to collect as many robust, impactful and transformative proposals as possible,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing these bids roll in and working very closely with whichever team is ultimately chosen to develop Chicago’s first-ever casino.”
