IGB Allows Bally’s Chicago Casino Construction to Resume

Summary:

• The Illinois Gaming Board has decided to lift a stop-work order after Bally’s addressed vendor disclosure violations.
• The halt followed concerns over ties to a reputed mob-linked waste company, D&P Construction.
• Bally’s must now follow stricter compliance protocols as the investigation continues.

Construction on the permanent Bally’s Chicago casino is back on track after being halted for two weeks due to concerns over the involvement of an undisclosed vendor with reputed mob connections.

IGB Lifts Stop-Work Order, Orders Tighter Oversight

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) announced Wednesday that it has lifted the stop-work order issued on May 1, allowing the project to move forward under tighter oversight.

The IGB, which operates under Governor JB Pritzker’s administration, offered limited details about the investigation or what led to the decision to resume construction. However, in a brief statement, the agency noted:

Today the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) lifted its May 1, 2025, Stop Work Order on construction of the permanent Bally’s Chicago Casino project. The IGB issued the Stop Work Order in connection with undisclosed vendors performing work on the project.

The same statement added that, as of now, “no vendors are working on the casino construction project without IGB approval”

The board added that the gambling, betting, and interactive entertainment company has effectively addressed its disclosure failures, further assuring “the ongoing disclosure of all proposed vendors to the IGB”.

“Bally’s is cooperating with the investigation”, the announcement added while highlighting the new compliance protocols that Bally’s must now follow moving forward. The list includes improved vendor oversight and enhanced monitoring of the site itself.

As a result, the IGB established that Bally’s is now fit to resume construction effective May 15 “in a compliant and responsible manner”, adding the matter will remain “under investigation”.

Scrutiny Over Ties with D&P Construction Co., Inc.

The pause in construction was prompted after the Chicago Sun-Times raised questions about D&P Construction Co., Inc., whose dumpsters were spotted at the future casino site.

The company has a long, controversial history, having been linked by law enforcement to organized crime figures.

Therefore, the presence of its dumpsters at the construction site triggered a number of concerns regarding its possible involvement in casino operations.

This is not the first time Illinois-based gambling venues have faced scrutiny concerning their questionable ties with vendors.

A decade ago, Rivers Casino was fined $1.65 million for similar violations, and Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin faced a $3.2 million penalty over a contractor with alleged mob associations.

For now, Bally’s continues to operate its temporary casino at Medinah Temple as construction resumes at the permanent site along the Chicago River.

The timeline for the gaming board’s investigation to conclude remains uncertain.