Construction is going according to plan on the new Golden Nugget Casino in Danville. The property is on track to start taking bets in the early part of next year.
Golden Nugget is one of a handful of new Illinois casinos that are on their way to the state.
Danville casino costs increasing
Danville’s new casino is still hitting its construction timeline, but that doesn’t mean the project hasn’t had its fair share of hoops to jump through.
James Wilmont is the vice president of gaming for Wilmorite Management, the company that’s building Golden Nugget casino on the city’s east side. According to Wilmont, construction costs are mounting as the project advances.
“Shipping costs alone on all the materials in some cases are double a year ago. Inflation and limited availability have driven up prices to an incredible amount. We’ve seen a lot of price creep on this job.”
Despite the rising costs, the project is still on track for its grand opening. Golden Nugget hopes to be taking wagers in March 2023.
At this rate, the casino’s steel frame will be in place by labor day. The building will be fully enclosed by Thanksgiving to help avoid the brutal Illinois winter.
Golden Nugget Illinois casino plans
Once it’s finally open for business, Golden Nugget will feature 500 slot machines and 14 table games. That’s in addition to a pair of restaurants, and of course, a Golden Nugget Sportsbook.
Other Illinois projects are opting to build a temporary casino to serve gamblers while their main buildings are under construction. Golden Nugget went in the other direction by deciding to avoid a temporary property.
However, skipping that step allows the company to expedite the construction process for the main casino.
Construction on Danville’s building in on track to finish in about 11 months, which isn’t too bad compared to the multi-year timelines of other projects in the state.
Golden Nugget’s site is a 60,000-square-foot former manufacturing facility. In other words, the building has plenty of space to house all of the casino’s needs.
Opening in March 2023 also gives Danville’s property a solid chance to establish itself before more competition arrives. A new casino is opening its doors across the state line in Terre Haute next fall, so the earlier Golden Nugget is up and running the better.
