Thousands crowd into Waukegan’s new casino on opening weekend; ‘This is going to be good for the community’

Cruz Paredes of Waukegan was the first person in a line of hundreds waiting for The Temporary by American Place casino to open its doors for the first time in her hometown Friday night. She knew exactly what she planned to do.

“I’m going to the slot machines,” Paredes said. “Then I’m going to the tables and try some 21. This is very exciting.”

The Temporary by American Place officially opened Friday in Waukegan welcoming nearly 10,000 visitors through 4 a.m. Sunday, including 400 invited guests at a pre-opening gala, to its gaming tables, slot machines and restaurant, starting the era of casino gaming in Lake County.

Alex Stolyar, the senior vice president and chief development officer of American Place owner Full House Resorts, was thrilled with the turnout in the first 28 hours of operation at Lake County’s first casino.

“We are very happy,” Stolyar said. “We are excited that so many people came to see our new casino, and are excited to roll out new restaurants and amenities in the coming weeks to serve even more customers. We also continue to actively recruit and hire staff to keep up with demand.”

Stolyar said the casino will be open for 20 hours daily, from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. the following day. Design work has already started on the permanent resort and casino on the same property. He hopes to start construction in six months, with an opening planned in two to three years.

Shortly before the official opening, Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor cut a traditional opening ribbon with Full House President and CEO David Lee standing beside her. She looks forward to a good partnership between American Place and the city.

“I’m excited for Waukegan, and what this will do for Waukegan,” Taylor said about what will be a $500 million development before it is done. “This will bring a lot of energy to Waukegan and Lake County. They got all this done in eight months.”

“We’re bringing a touch of Las Vegas to Waukegan,” Lee said.

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr., whose city will receive a portion of the gaming tax revenue along with Park City, already has a good idea of what it means for his community.

“It should be around $1 million a year,” Rockingham said. “This will really help us with our infrastructure projects.”

Within 30 minutes of the long-awaited Waukegan casino opening its doors, finding a seat at one if the 13 Blackjack table was a challenge, and large crowds surrounded the roulette and craps games with people either playing or cheering on friends.

Lake County College Trustee Torrie Newsome had a long run throwing dice at a craps table while his wife, Waukegan Ald. Edith Newsome, 5th Ward, kept taking and holding his growing collection of chips. They did not disclose their winnings, but smiles were showing.

“It’s been very pleasing evening,” Torrie Newsome said.

“There’s a lot of energy since we’ve been here,” added Edith Newsome, referring to the craps game. “This is going to be great for Waukegan and our economy.”

Waukegan Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, said his short stint at one of the blackjack tables was the first time he gambled in 26 years. He, too, touted the benefits the casino will bring to the city and county as he headed home satisfied.

“I started with $150 and now I have $300,” Turner said. “I’ve counted my money, and I’m going home.”

North Shore Reclamation District Trustee Sugar Young of Waukegan was trying some of the slot machines, both winning and losing but holding on to more money than she had when she arrived after an hour of gambling. She sees a benefit beyond recreation and entertainment.

“This is going to be good for the community,” Young said. “It’s in my ward and it’s going to help a lot of people.”

With 28 gaming tables on the floor and space for the 50 the casino already owns and plans to use, American Place continues to look for more workers. Stolyar said there are 350 on board, with another 150 being sought. Lee said opportunities exist for a variety of jobs.

“I’m not concerned about the guarantee,” Lee said, referring to the $62,000 promised for dealers in their first year. “They’ll get more than that with tips.”

With many Spanish-speakers applying for jobs, Lee said American Place needed to a modification to assist the application process. The Illinois Gaming Board has comprehensive forms for prospective workers to complete. They are in English, and must be completed in English.

“We translated the forms into Spanish so we could help people understand them,” Lee said. “Then they filled out the original (English) form in English.”

For now, there are 13 blackjack tables, four craps tables, two roulette wheels, four baccarat tables and three tables for different forms of poker — Paigow Poker, Mississippi Stud and Ultimate Texas Holdem.

Along with gambling, visitors will eventually have a choice of three restaurants — North Shore Steak & Seafood, the Asian Azteca combination Chinese and Mexican eatery and a L’Americin, a casual American eatery. L’Americin is open now with Asia Azteca coming soon.

Stolyar said the sportsbook, with 18 television screens, will open in few months.