CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The temporary Chicago casino is struggling to break out in a crowded field.
Bally's temporary casino at Medinah Temple in River North is seeing steady growth since it opened in September.
It generated $8.5 million in adusted gross receipts in December. That's a nearly 12% increase over the month before.
However, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the $45 million racked up by the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.
Chicago Magazine writer Bob Reed tells the Noon Business Hour that the downtown casino is trying to break out in an increasingly crowded Illinois casino landscape as the state has 15 casinos now.
"You're talking about 45,000 slots that are statewide," he explained. "There's a lot of competition in the Chicago market, so the Bally's people are going to have to step it up in terms of marketing if they want to start making their numbers."
The "shortfall" as Reed calls it is causing budget headaches for the city of Chicago, which was counting on $35 million in tax revenue this year.
However, it's on pace to generate $9 million. Bally's recently expanded its operations to stay open 24/7.
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