Waukegan’s ‘Tent-Like’ Temporary Casino To Hire Hundreds of Employees By July

Written By Matt Boecker on March 21, 2022 - Last Updated on May 9, 2022
Supply chain issues and approval process complications have delayed the opening of the Waukegan American Place temporary casino located between Chicago and Milwaukee.

Recently, Full House Resorts‘ proposal to open American Place Casino in Waukegan was unanimously approved by the Illinois Gaming Board. Finally, new Illinois casinos are making progress. 

Full House will first open a temporary casino in July 2022 before the permanent casino opens in about two years.

But even before the temporary casino opens, Full House has lots of legwork to put in before welcoming patrons. 

Full House hosting job fair

Alex Stolyar, vice president and chief development officer for Full House, admitted that there is a long laundry list of things to do before the doors open for the temporary location. The top item on the list is staffing the casino.

He said:

“We are going to sit down with the city, and begin working with them. We are going to get our temporary casino designed. There are probably a thousand things we have to do. We are going to start hiring people.”

To kickstart the hiring process, Full House hosted a job fair for residents in the area. About 40 applications have already been completed, and there are additional sessions coming up on March 29-31 at the Amherst Lake Office Complex on Waukegan Road.

The following positions will be open at the new casino: slot machine technicians, dealers, security, surveillance specialists, and sales and marketing operations associates.

Related Reading: 20,000 Casino Jobs Are Coming To Illinois; Here’s Where To Find Them

Full benefits plans along with competitive pay have been promised for these openings.

Stolyar added:

“We’re looking for local people. We expect many of them to be with us for three years and transition into the permanent casino. They’ll be trained and ready to go.”

It’s been said that hundreds of employees will be needed for the temporary locations, while a total of 1,800 jobs will need filling before the permanent location begins serving patrons.

What to expect from the temporary casino

The temporary location will be 75,000 square feet and house 50 table games, 1,000 slot machines, a sportsbook, and food and beverage service for citizens and tourists alike to enjoy when in the northeastern Illinois town. 

A Waukegan planning board recently unanimously approved plans for the temporary casino, which will have an outside-of-the-box feel.

The building will be white and windowless, and it will be a high tension-tent made by Sprung Structures.

“I’m excited,” Stolyar said. “I appreciate the recommendation. I’m always happy with a unanimous positive vote.”

Full House is hoping to operate the temporary casino 24 hours per day.

About Waukegan

Founded in 1849, the Waukegan is about 42 miles and a 45-minute drive away from Chicago. Just follow the lakefront north and you’ll hit it.

Census shows there being 89,000 people who call Waukegan home as of April 2020, making it the ninth-biggest city in the Land of Lincoln.

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Matt Boecker

Matt Boecker is a 2020 graduate of Northern Illinois University hailing from Chicago. Boecker specializes in coverage of sports betting and legalization. Former teammates and coworkers describe him as a nice guy who tries hard and loves the game.

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