Bally’s Chicago Review for June 2026

Chicago has wanted a downtown casino for decades. Politicians promised it, developers pitched it, and residents debated it for years before anything actually happened. When Bally's finally opened its doors at the Medinah Temple on September 9, 2023, it became the city's first and only downtown casino overnight, and the line out the door on opening morning suggested the demand had not diminished one bit during the wait.

What makes Bally's Chicago genuinely interesting is where it is. The Medinah Temple is a Chicago landmark, a stunning 1912 Moorish Revival building at 600 North Wabash Avenue with trademark copper onion-shaped domes, gorgeous stained glass, and the kind of architectural bones that most new casinos spend millions trying to replicate. Bally's is using it as a temporary home while a $1.7 billion permanent resort takes shape about a mile away in River West. That permanent opening is now expected in 2027. In the meantime, Chicago has this and honestly, this is not bad at all.

Bally's Chicago, Illinois, could hardly be better located for visitors arriving without a car. The Grand Avenue station on the CTA Red Line is just steps from the entrance, and a handful of bus routes including numbers 65 and 125 stop right outside. For visitors coming from the south side, Bally's runs hourly shuttle services from Chinatown. The casino also sits within easy walking distance of the Magnificent Mile, River North, and Streeterville, meaning it integrates naturally into a broader Chicago day or night out.

For drivers, the casino does not have its own parking garage, which is the one logistical inconvenience worth flagging. There are several parking garages within a short walk, and Bally Rewards members can earn free parking through the loyalty program. Apps like SpotHero are worth checking before you arrive to lock in a good rate rather than paying walk-up prices.

The Medinah Temple was built in 1912 for the Shriners fraternal organization, later hosted a Bloomingdale's department store, and is now home to Bally's. It is safe to say no other casino in the United States occupies quite this kind of space.

The preserved stained glass windows, the ornate Moorish detailing, and the building's distinctive domed exterior give Bally's Chicago an atmosphere that no purpose-built casino can replicate. Walking in for the first time, the reaction is almost universally some version of "wow."

The casino spreads across three floors, with slots dominating the ground level, a mix of tables and slots on the second, and the main table games area alongside a restaurant and bar on the third. The layout works better than you might expect for a converted building, though it is worth knowing that the gaming floor is compact by casino standards. At 34,000 square feet across three levels, this is not a sprawling Vegas-style floor. It is a tight, energetic downtown casino that feels busy even on a quieter day. The atmosphere is lively, the staff are friendly, and the ID check on the door is fast and painless.

There is no poker room at the Medinah location and no retail sportsbook operational at the time of writing. A third-floor bar with sports TVs handles some of the sportsbook atmosphere in the meantime, and mobile sports betting through the Bally Bet app is available throughout Illinois. Both a poker room and a retail sportsbook are confirmed features of the permanent River West resort.

Table Games

Table games at Bally's Chicago are spread across the second and third floors, with the third floor carrying the lion's share of the action. On my visit the selection included:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Baccarat
• Mini Baccarat
• Mississippi Stud
• Let It Ride

With 14 baccarat tables on the floor, Bally's is clearly catering to a significant Asian-American player base, which reflects both the city's demographics and the casino's deliberate outreach to that community. The table atmosphere is lively and social, and the third floor in particular generates a buzz that makes it the most enjoyable part of the casino to spend time in. Minimum bets vary, with $10 options available during off-peak hours.

Slots

With around 800 slot machines spread across all three floors, Bally's Chicago has a solid selection for its size. The ground floor carries the bulk of the machines and is the busiest area of the casino. The range covers penny slots through to higher denomination games, and the selection includes a good spread of popular titles alongside a dedicated high limit area for players who like bigger stakes and a bit more space.

The machines are well-maintained and the floor is refreshed regularly. It is a compact environment and can feel crowded on busy evenings, which is worth bearing in mind if you prefer a more relaxed playing pace. For a city-center casino catering to a mix of locals and tourists, the slot offering is more than adequate.

Sportsbook

There is currently no retail sportsbook at Bally's Chicago Medinah Temple. A third-floor bar area with multiple TVs provides a reasonable environment for watching games while placing mobile bets through the Bally Bet app, which covers all major sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS. The permanent River West resort will include a full retail sportsbook as one of its headline amenities.

Rewards Club

Bally's Chicago operates the Bally Rewards loyalty program, which is free to join at the casino floor. Members earn points through slot and table game play, which can be redeemed for free play, dining credits, and other perks. The program includes tier-based benefits, exclusive promotions, VIP event invitations, and access to bonus play offers.

One particularly useful perk for players who also visit other casinos: Bally's will match your tier status from another property's loyalty program if you bring your card along. It is a smart move for a casino still building its regular player base, and a genuinely good deal for anyone who already holds status elsewhere.

Bally Rewards members also earn free parking, which given the lack of an on-site garage is a more valuable benefit here than it would be at most other properties.

There is no hotel at the Medinah Temple location. The permanent River West resort will include a 500-room luxury hotel tower as one of its centerpiece features, but that remains under construction. In the meantime, Bally's Chicago is surrounded by some of the best hotel options in the city. River North is one of Chicago's most hotel-dense neighborhoods, and guests will find everything from boutique properties to major chain hotels within a short walk. The location near the Magnificent Mile means the area is extremely well served for accommodation at every price point.

Where to Eat

Dining at Bally's Chicago is modest but covers the bases across three options:

Medinah Bistro on the third floor is the most substantial dining option, serving a relaxed American menu with a full bar alongside it. Kitchen 888 on the second floor is the more interesting choice, offering dim sum, noodle dishes, and stir fry in a lively setting.

Wabash Cafe handles the quick coffee and snack end of the spectrum and runs 24 hours, which is handy if you find yourself at the tables in the small hours and in need of fuel. The dining lineup is limited compared to a full resort casino, but appropriate for what is ultimately a temporary venue pending the permanent opening.

Pool and Spa

There is no pool or spa at Bally's Chicago, which is entirely expected for a casino operating inside a historic landmark building. The permanent River West resort will include a full amenity lineup, but for now visitors looking for spa facilities are best directed to the many hotel spas in the surrounding River North neighborhood.

Entertainment

Entertainment at Bally's Chicago is limited in the formal sense, with no dedicated concert venue at the Medinah location. The building itself is arguably the entertainment, and its stunning architecture draws as many curious visitors as it does dedicated gamblers.

The bars on the first and third floors host a lively atmosphere most evenings, and the casino runs regular promotions, prize drawings, and special events throughout the year to keep things interesting.

The permanent River West resort will include a 3,000-seat theater as one of its headline features, which will significantly elevate Bally's entertainment credentials when it opens.

Bally's Chicago is a genuinely unique casino experience, and not just by Illinois standards. Operating inside one of the city's most beautiful landmark buildings gives it an atmosphere that money alone cannot buy, and the downtown location makes it the most accessible casino in the state by a considerable margin. The gaming floor is compact and the amenity lineup is limited, but both of those things are functions of the temporary setting rather than permanent shortcomings.

The bigger question hanging over everything is the permanent resort. Construction is underway in River West, but timelines have slipped and the project faces some headwinds including competition from newly legalized video gaming terminals across the city. Whether the full $1.7 billion vision ultimately materializes as planned remains to be seen.

For now though, as a downtown Chicago casino experience, Bally's delivers something you cannot find anywhere else in the city. If you are visiting Chicago and want to spend an evening at the tables or the slots, the combination of a world-class location, a landmark building, and a vibrant atmosphere makes it well worth a few hours of your time.