CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced next steps toward the City’s initial efforts to plan for the first-ever casino located in Chicago. Following last week’s launch of a financial feasibility study, the City is moving forward to ensure community feedback is considered before planning gets underway on a new casino. A survey launched today will allow residents to weigh in on their preferences for what they would like to see included in a Chicago casino.  The survey is available now at www.chicago.gov/casinosurvey

“To learn more about what Chicagoans want to see in a new casino, today we are launching a survey that will give our residents a voice in informing how this development can drive the maximum benefit for all communities,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “While the prospect of a new casino holds tremendous potential for generating new revenues and stimulating economic opportunity for Chicago, we are committed to a transparent process for ensuring all voices can be heard as the City moves forward on this historic project.”

The survey seeks information from participants about ways it can benefit the community, including: preferred amenities, where it could be most conveniently located, and how often they would visit a Chicago casino.

To increase the opportunity for public participation, the City will make the survey available at local library branches for those without easy access to a computer. The survey will also be available in several languages including English, Spanish, Polish, Mandarin, Arabic and Hindi. To promote engagement and transparency throughout this process, initial results of the survey will be shared with the public mid-August, when a financial feasibility report is released by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Under Mayor Lightfoot’s leadership, the City is committed to extensive community input on key considerations in the development of a casino, including the final location of a casino. To ensure all residents have an opportunity to share feedback during the planning and development stages for a future casino, the City will offer the survey online through this fall, even after initial results are released. Later this year, City will hold a series of community forums where residents can provide input on issues that will inform the location, development and operation of a casino. 

Last week, in cooperation with the City, the Illinois Gaming Board launched a feasibility study, marking the first steps toward development of a future Chicago casino. The study, required by Illinois General Assembly, will determine the economics of a casino for Chicago, but does not decide the site location for a Chicago casino. That decision will be informed during a site selection process to launch later, and which will consider various site locations throughout the city, as informed by the community.

A new casino is envisioned for Chicago as a result of recently enacted legislation and is made possible as a result of Mayor Lightfoot’s efforts working with state leadership to secure the requisite approvals. Under the state law, new revenues from a Chicago casino will be used to fund Chicago’s police and fire pensions. It is estimated that a Chicago casino will create thousands of jobs as well as contracting opportunities for the community.

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