CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The owners of the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines are getting ready for a multi-million dollar expansion that will include a ballroom, a poker room, a new restaurant, and more.
The owners of Rivers Casino, Churchill Downs Incorporated and Rush Street Gaming, announced Wednesday that they have filed expansion plans with the City of Des Plaines and Illinois Gaming Board.
The two-story, $87 million expansion would add an additional 78,000 square feet to the casino located on River Road near O'Hare International Airport.
If approved, the plans would allow the casino to add approximately 725 gaming positions, making it the first to have the state’s maximum number of 2,000 positions. It would also add a 24-table poker room, additional gaming areas, a 10,000 square-foot ballroom for private events and live entertainment, and a new restaurant.
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“With this proposed expansion, we will be able to offer our guests more of the entertainment and dining options they enjoy, additional gaming opportunities and a long-desired poker room,” said CEO Greg Carlin, co-founder of Rush Street Gaming. “We have always offered a first-class experience for our guests. As the economy re-opens, we’re excited to raise the bar and provide them with an even better experience.”
The expansion is expected to be built between the existing casino building and the recently enlarged parking garage on the north side of the property. If approved, construction can begin this spring and be completed by spring 2022.