(CelebrityAccess News Service) — Caesars Entertainment, Inc. has submitted an updated bid to construct and operate a world-class, Caesars-branded casino in the greater Chicago area. The bid was tendered on January 19 to representatives of the bankrupt Emerald Casino, Inc. and the Illinois Gaming Board, and calls for construction of Caesars Chicagoland, a 40,000 square foot casino with more than 1,100 slot machines, 34 table games, four top-quality restaurants and four lounges, on a premier site in the heart of Rosemont, Illinois. The project also would include a covered garage with more than 3,000 dedicated parking spaces and a retail-entertainment corridor. Financial details of the bid were not publicly disclosed.
"Because of its unique proximity to the nation's busiest airport, major freeways, thousands of hotel rooms and large entertainment facilities, Rosemont is the only site that can generate the big economic returns sought by the state, its taxpayers and the disadvantaged suburban communities that will share in the casino revenue," said Caesars Entertainment President and Chief Executive Officer Wallace R. Barr.
"For its part, Caesars Entertainment is uniquely positioned to develop the Rosemont site to the best possible advantage for the people of Illinois," Barr said. "We not only are the world's largest gaming company, we also own the industry's best-known brand, and we have built a highly efficient, world-wide marketing organization to support that brand.
"Caesars is a publicly-traded company, licensed in 11 gaming jurisdictions, that is closely monitored by our shareholders, the Securities and Exchange Commission and gaming regulators around the world. We also have an industry-leading compliance organization," Barr added.
The Caesars Chicagoland project is intended to promote tourism and economic development throughout the region by attracting a significant number of customers from other states and other countries. The Rosemont site is close to O'Hare International Airport, accessible from major freeways and adjacent to the state's second-largest convention facility, the 840,000 square-foot Rosemont Convention Center. Surrounding the site are nearly 6,000 hotel rooms and a major entertainment district that includes the 18,000-seat Allstate Arena and the 4,300-seat Rosemont Theatre.
Barr noted that the Caesars Entertainment marketing database contains the names of millions of customers who have visited the company's 29 casino resorts around the world, including 19 in the United States. With the company's sophisticated data tracking capabilities, that database can be used to attracts hundreds of thousands of out-of-state customers to the Chicago area casino.
Caesars Entertainment currently holds gaming licenses in 11 separate jurisdictions – Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Australia, South Africa and Uruguay. "We are one of the most highly regulated companies in one of the most highly regulated industries in the world," Barr said.
The bid for Caesars Chicagoland was submitted under a procedure established by the State of Illinois to transfer ownership of the state's 10th gaming license. The license currently is held by Emerald Casino, Inc., which has sought protection from creditors under federal bankruptcy laws.
"We have the greatest respect for Illinois regulators and the regulatory process," Barr said. "We will do everything we can to make a strong case for Caesars and Rosemont based on a well-developed economic plan and our reputation for integrity." –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
