Bally’s has halted construction on its permanent US$1.7bn Chicago casino in the wake of a report from the Chicago Sun-Times that one of its contractors was using an unauthorised vendor.
The Illinois Gaming Board ordered construction on the casino to stop after it was reported D&P Construction was providing dumpsters to the casino site.
D&P, which the FBI had alleged has ties to the Chicago mob from decades ago, was hired by the casino’s general contractor Chicago Community Builders Collective, the Sun-Times reported.
The contractor was using an unapproved vendor and were issued a stop work notice, a Bally's spokesperson said in a statement, adding that Bally's appreciates the diligence of the gaming regulators and will work with the Gaming Board to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“We brought together the Chicago Community Builder’s Collective to give smaller city contractors a chance to participate in this amazing project. We will work with the CCBC to better achieve our shared objectives,” Bally’s said in a statement to the newspaper.
All vendors and subcontractors must be disclosed and approved under Illinois gaming regulations.
It is too early to speculate about potential discipline or fines in relation to the issue, a Gaming Board spokesperson told Block Club Chicago.
No timeline has been given on construction resuming.
Currently, construction is slated for completion by September 2026.
Source: Fantini's Gaming Report
