Additional interior renderings have been revealed for the upcoming Bally’s Casino at 777 West Chicago Avenue in River West. The massive construction project is already well underway at the intersection with North Halsted Street, recently seeing a crane jump for the hotel structure along the southern end of the site.
Rendering of Bally’s Casino by HKS
Rendering of Bally’s Casino by HKS
Led by gaming giant Bally’s, the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center was fully demolished earlier this year to make way for the HKS-designed structure. McHugh Concrete and the Chicago Community Builders Collective have been busy all summer in order to meet the city’s 2026 deadline for the permanent casino’s completion.
Rendering of Bally’s Casino by HKS
Rendering of Bally’s Casino by HKS
Since then, Bally’s has been pitching a similar casino in the Bronx in New York. With that proposal came some of the first renderings of the Chicago property’s interior. The core casino structure will reach eight stories in height at its tallest. Most of this height will consist of parking on the upper levels, providing 2,500 spaces along with a few surrounding surface lots.
Rendering of Bally’s Casino by HKS
Rendering of Bally’s Casino by HKS
The lower level along the water will feature a large plaza on the northern corner, as well as a water taxi stop. To help activate the riverwalk, there will be four food and beverage options, along with entrances to both the casino and the event center. The southern end will be anchored by a large restaurant within the base of the hotel, connecting to a new public park.
Bally’s Casino floor plans by HKS
Bally’s Hotel floor plans by HKS
The floor above will connect to Jefferson Street and contain both vehicular drop-offs for the casino and hotel. This level will house the main gaming floor with 3,400 slot machines and 173 table games with a large central bar. Surrounding it will be three additional food and beverage venues and a food hall, positioned along the outer edge of the structure to take advantage of windows overlooking the river.
Rendering of Bally’s baccarat room by HKS
Rendering of Bally’s poker room by HKS
To the south will be the new event center, anchored by a 3,000-seat theater and a small café; this is also where the hotel lobby will be located. The interiors will feature a mix of stone flooring and custom carpets, complemented by white path-defining ceiling elements surrounded by wooden slats. Custom chandeliers and gold-accented room dividers will complete the space.
Rendering of Bally’s high limit slots room by HKS
Above the casino floor will be a mezzanine housing a poker room, additional meeting space, and three floors of exhibition space within the hotel tower for a small museum. Along with parking, the sixth floor will contain the hotel’s spa and fitness center. The hotel itself will rise 36 stories and include 500 rooms, including large suites on the top floors.
Rendering of Bally’s gaming floor by HKS
Bally’s Casino section by HKS
The 35th floor will contain a private members club, topped by a rooftop restaurant with a terrace on the 36th floor. Construction is well underway after some mishaps earlier this year. The $1.7 billion project is set to be completed next year, though it is unclear whether it will open in phases or what will happen with the existing temporary casino in River North.
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Baccarat and Poker rooms, nice to see that.
Wow, a private members club.
You definitely need an area for the high rollers. The guys in tuxedos and evil villains, kind of like James Bond
Is this what regular casino enjoyers want? Looks… already quite dated to me.
They have a brand, know what works, but it looks like something Vegas spat out 20 years ago. I guess it feeds the need of why go to Vegas when we have that here on the Chicago riverfront, but where’s the WOW factor? I’m feeling lukewarm on the interiors. Was thinking they’d try more Cosmpoltian on this one.
Wow…I hope this really pays off for the city.