* Tribune…

The Illinois Gaming Board unanimously approved a “determination of preliminary suitability” Thursday for Bally’s Chicago, setting the table to launch the city’s first casino this summer.

The precursor to final licensing will allow Bally’s to open its temporary casino at Medinah Temple, pending a successful practice gaming session. Bally’s is building out and staffing up the landmark River North building, with plans to welcome Chicago gamblers by August.

“We are excited to be part of this historic moment to open the first casino in the city of Chicago,” Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim said at the hearing Thursday. “It’s a pretty weighty thing. And this is going to allow us to keep our many commitments to the city and the community that we’ve made.”

Medinah Temple will serve as a temporary casino for up to three years while the permanent facility is built on the site of the Freedom Center printing plant. The ornate 111-year-old amphitheater is being retrofitted to accommodate more than 800 gaming positions, restaurants and a bar.

* Sun-Times…

The gaming board’s “preliminary suitability” finding allows Bally’s to lay the groundwork for their operations both at Medinah and the $1.7 billion casino complex they’ve envisioned at the site of the Chicago Tribune printing press at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, which is expected to open by 2026.

Before the gaming board vote, Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter called it “a very significant and important step” but noted that it “is not the final act in this opera.”

The curtain won’t rise until Bally’s meets Fruchter’s final set of regulatory hurdles, including a test run of their slots and table games, before the temporary Medinah site can open — potentially in a matter of weeks.

That would be a quicker turnaround time for vetting by the gaming board compared to five other new casinos introduced elsewhere in Illinois since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gambling expansion into law in 2019. Bally’s already owns an Illinois casino in Rock Island, in addition to 14 others nationwide.

* Crain’s…

Bally’s efforts to open a temporary casino at the Medinah Temple in River North took a step forward today as the Illinois Gaming Board approved a preliminary measure giving the company the all-clear to continue hiring staff and buying gaming machines. […]

The gambling company said it is “pleased” with the approval and appreciates “the support and collaboration” of the Gaming Board.

“Bally’s Chicago will create employment opportunities for approximately 700 individuals across various professional fields, including gaming operations, hospitality, security, surveillance, janitorial services, human resources, and finance and accounting,” said a company statement. “Bally’s strictly adheres to all guidelines provided by the Illinois Gaming Board.”

* WBEZ…

If the casino passes that test and meets other regulatory requirements – such as having an adequate system for transferring cash from tables to the safe – the gaming board administrator alone can issue a temporary permit.

It’s unclear how long that process could take. In Rockford, the process from suitability to permit took about nine months and just two months for a casino in north suburban Waukegan.

A gaming board spokesperson stressed the state was processing numerous casino applications at the time, and that it’s hard to predict the timing for Chicago’s temporary casino opening. State law does not stipulate a timeframe.

On the city side, an application for an amusement license, which the casino also needs to operate, is still pending before the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, a spokeswoman said. That permit does not need council approval, though Reilly said he hopes Mayor Brandon Johnson “looks at this carefully.”