Temporary Chicago casino could open this summer

All bets could be on in Chicago by the end of summer.

State regulators on Thursday handed down a key early approval to Bally's Chicago casino plan, paving the way for the corporation to launch a temporary gambling house within a couple of months at the historic Medinah Temple in River North while it builds the permanent structure in River West.

The four-member Illinois Gaming Board voted unanimously on a finding of "preliminary suitability" for Rhode Island-based Bally's, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's pick to spearhead the casino that had eluded generations of mayors before her.

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