Illinois: Waukegan's American Place opens new poker room

American Place Casino opened its six-table Harbor Poker Room on Saturday, adding poker to its temporary Waukegan facility as revenues continue to climb and plans move forward for a permanent resort.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony included casino executives and city officials, the Chicago Tribune reported. The expansion is part of a larger effort tied to a proposed permanent $500 million casino project.

“This project is just another step in rebuilding Waukegan,” Mayor Sam Cunningham said. “It will be the validation of all the effort of everyone involved, and what it took to bring this to Waukegan. This will draw people from Illinois and Wisconsin.”

When the temporary casino opened more than two years ago, poker was intended only for the permanent facility. But guest requests changed that, said Jeff Babinski, American Place’s Vice President and General Manager. 

“It’s not a huge part of what we do, and it was something we planned for the permanent,” Babinski said. “We heard from our guests that it was something they would like to see. So, we decided not to wait.”

The Harbor Poker Room sits in the northeast corner of the casino structure, next to the Circa sportsbook. By midday Saturday, four tables were already in play.
Players welcomed the new addition.

Lake County Board Vice Chair Mary Ross Cunningham, who took part in a state-required test run earlier this month, praised the atmosphere. “Everyone was very happy, whether they were winning or losing,” she said. “This is a nice, safe place to play.”

The launch follows a strong second-quarter earnings report from Full House Resorts, which owns American Place. The company reported $73.9 million in revenue for the quarter ending June 30, a 0.6% increase from last year, with American Place a major contributor to the increased earnings.

“This strong performance reflects the growing awareness and popularity of American Place throughout Chicago’s populous northern suburbs,” said Daniel R. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Full House Resorts. “Over the coming quarters, we expect the financial results for our temporary American Place casino to continue to improve, as we add a poker room and continue to build awareness in the region.”

Babinski said the company expects to present plans for the permanent facility to Waukegan’s Planning and Zoning Commission in September, with a projected opening in about two years. “We’re just doing some tweaks,” he said.