Des Plaines casino gets a name: Rivers Casino

The developer of Des Plaines’ new casino and entertainment center announced Thursday the complex debuting this summer will be named “Rivers Casino.”

The Rivers Casino, the state’s 10th and possibly final casino, will be located on about 20 acres at the corner of Des Plaines River Road and Devon Avenue.

The name represents the location of the casino near the Des Plaines River, as well as the “green” elements incorporated in its construction, according to developer Midwest Gaming. It may be the first casino in the country to receive Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design recognition, the company said.

Midwest Gaming officials also announced the first casino job information fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 8, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road in Rosemont.

The job fair will provide applicants a chance to learn more about some of the estimated 1,000 jobs the complex will create and to meet the Rivers Casino management team. No paper applications or resumes will be accepted at the job fair. Job seekers must apply online at riverscasino.net.

“We are excited to be creating jobs in the Chicagoland area after creating hundreds of construction jobs over the past year,” said Greg Carlin, Midwest Gaming CEO. “We look forward to being a great entertainment destination for many years to come and we will be a major employer and good neighbor for Des Plaines and the Chicagoland region.”

The $445 million Rivers Casino will house 1,200 gambling positions, and several restaurants and bars including Hugo’s Frog Bar and Chop House, operated by the Gibson’s Restaurant Group.

Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said city officials are eagerly awaiting the casino’s planned July 19 opening.

Moylan said a vendor fair is planned along with the April 8 job fair, but details have yet to be announced.

Officials are adjusting their projections for anticipated casino revenues in light of the latest proposed legislation in Springfield to expand gambling at horse racetracks statewide, Moylan said.

“Our original projections were about $25 million a year. The first $10 million goes to the state, the remaining goes to us, and 40 percent (of that) goes to 10 benefiting communities,” he said.

The city could collect about $9 million annually, but the numbers could be a lot lower if slots are allowed at racetracks, Moylan said.

“We’ll have to see what new legislation brings,” he added. “There’s language in the current bill that has some benefits that will affect the city of Des Plaines, which we are happy about.”

Moylan said the casino will pay significantly more per gambling position than racetracks would have to pay per slot machine.

“So we are looking for some kind of incentive to even the playing field,” Moylan said. “And also we are looking for some relief on the $300 million that we owe the state — $10 million a year over 30 years. We’re the only riverboat casino that’s splitting 40 percent of our revenues with 10 communities.”