The American Place casino in Waukegan, Illinois, has opened The Lighthouse, a new “small, intimate” entertainment venue for comedians and bands. The space’s debut comes as the property approaches its third year of operation, adding a new non-gaming amenity to the mix. The facility is set to work as another precursor to the amenities the permanent resort and casino will eventually feature.
Opening the new 220-seat venue required converting a portion of L’Americain, one of the casino’s three restaurants. American Place Vice President and General Manager Jeff Babinski told the Chicago Tribune that while the facility is starting with comedians, it will also book musical shows and host a variety of performances, extending the casino’s offerings beyond gaming and dining.
The Lighthouse opened last Saturday with two performances featuring comedian Josh Blue. “Comedy lends itself to the size of the room. It’s a small, intimate venue which gives people a chance to enjoy the entertainment,” Babinski told the aforementioned publication. “We’ll be looking for bands that appeal to people between 40 and 70 who like coming to a casino.”
The Lighthouse is set to act as a “precursor” to the 1,500-seat showroom that will be part of the permanent casino once it opens. American Place, currently operating 24/7, is one of two temporary casino operations in Illinois along with Bally’s in Chicago. The property boasts 46 table games, including blackjack, roulette and craps, as well as 943 slot machines.
While the Waukegan Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan for the permanent resort in August 2023, two court cases forced owner Full Resorts to put a temporary hold on the development. The Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin alleges the city of Waukegan did not send its application to the Illinois Gaming Board for consideration as it did for the other applicants.
The tribe is appealing the dismissal of its case in federal court against the city for not forwarding the application. It is concurrently appealing the dismissal of its case against the city and the gaming board challenging the award of the casino license to Full House to the Illinois Supreme Court.
The city and gaming board presented oral arguments to the state Supreme Court in September and are awaiting a decision. Meanwhile, oral arguments were heard on Oct. 30 in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago on the federal case. The city is awaiting a decision on that case as well.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/01/07/91018-waukegan-39s-american-place-casino-opens-34small-intimate-34-entertainment-venue
