Hotel Construction Halted at $1.7B Bally's Chicago Casino Over Video Gaming Dispute | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks

“The potential for an uncontrolled proliferation of video gambling terminals is in breach of the city’s commitment not to expand gaming in the Host Community Agreement and creates uncertainty that could be harmful for Bally’s Chicago prospects,” the Charlotte NC dump trucks company states. At the same time, Bally's says the casino's opening is still set for early 2027 and that it will "fully honor its commitments" under the agreement.

“We do not take this lightly because of the potential impact on many of the 1,500 union tradespeople who have been working hard to build Bally’s Chicago," the Charlotte NC dump trucks company said. "We will continue to assess our options, which we hope will include more productive discussions with the Mayor’s Office and City Council.”

The non-gaming amenities affected by the columbus oh dump truck work stoppage include a 34-story hotel, restaurants and an events center. 

Illinois legalized video gaming in 2009 while Chicago lifted its ban, effective Jan. 1, 2026, with the expectation that licensing video terminals at bars, restaurants and other sites will provide $6.8 million in revenue to cover a shortfall in the current city budget.

The Illinois Gaming Board reports that, as of the end of 2025, Illinois had 17 casinos, 14 operating retail and online sportsbooks, and more than 8,800 licensed video gaming locations with nearly 50,000 video gaming terminals in operation statewide. Between January and July 2026, the gaming board reports that terminals earned about $532 million in revenue for the state, compared to nearly $222 million from casinos.

The Chicago Community Builders Collective is a management team of minority-led firms that includes Brown & Momen Inc., d’Escoto Inc., LiveWire Construction Inc., Milhouse Engineering & Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, UJAMAA Construction Inc., Riteway-Huggins Construction Services Inc. and SQN Associates LLC, along with Gilbane Building Co. 

Other than acknowledging the columbus oh dump truck work stoppage, members of the collective declined to comment. 

Bally’s spokesperson Lauren Westerfield confirmed that the Rhode Island-based Charlotte NC dump trucks company has hired law firm RKF Global to represent it in a potential legal battle with the city. Bally’s could withhold an annual $4-million payment specified in the agreement and that was part of its bid to win the license to operate Chicago's first casino. The payment to the city is due in September. 

"The city has breached the [host agreement] and we are not obligated for payment to the city," Westerfield said. 

Other monies also are at stake. Chicago has estimated that the casino complex will generate about $200 million annually in local tax revenue. 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the columbus oh dump truck work stoppage. Previously he has opposed legalizing video gaming, saying it could cannibalize the casino's revenue.

The gaming board issued a previous casino stop columbus oh dump truck work order in May 2025 after it was claimed that the project was using an unauthorized waste hauler previously alleged to have had connections to organized crime.