It is happening right before our eyes; Bally’s is in the process of constructing the largest casino ever in Illinois. When you think about it, the mind instantly replays the sentiments sparked by Field of Dreams. The people of Chicago finally have a cow they can milk and the greatest benefit yet will be to the thousands who will find employment here.
According to industry experts, the $1.7 billion Bally’s casino resort project will create an estimated 3,000 construction jobs and thereafter 3,000 permanent jobs. The operator has already reached out to potential gaming specialists for the purposes of filling positions like table dealers.
If the construction schedule is achieved within the set timelines, Bally’s will be launching the mega-casino in 2026. The venue of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street in River West has been picked as the ideal spot to hold the ceremony. On the day of the grand opening, a new casino premises will be standing there. It will offer bettors the opportunity to interact with over 3,400 slot machines, at least 170 table games, 10 food and beverage spots, a 500-room hotel tower and much more.
Such a high number of machines at the same location means a beehive of activity from the first day it is opened. There will obviously be a need for Bally’s to have eyes all over the place to ensure effective delivery and customer satisfaction. Bally’s has maintained that it is committed to hiring a large workforce to work at the casino upon completion. The plan is to provide employment for various calibers of workers for the Illinois casinos so this is the perfect time for all interested parties to update their CVs. Some of the positions that require heavy recruitment are hotel staff, casino table dealers, and slot machine staff.
What we cover
Diversity in casino recruitment
There have been talks all over the media insinuating that the new Bally’s casino in Chicago will accommodate people from diverse backgrounds. Embracing diversity in the general workforce of Chicago has been an important issue for Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. He is seriously convinced that the Chicago 27th District where the casino will reside, should portray inclusivity and diversity. At a city council committee meeting held in December, Burnett Jr. pledged to “raise hell” if the management of Bally’s did not produce written agreements with relevant labor unions.
By the time the said meeting was being concluded, Bally’s executives pledged that they would award 46% of all contracts to minority or firms that were woman-owned and that 60 percent would go to minorities. In statements made thereafter, Burnett retracted back from his complaint announcing he was satisfied with Bally’s commitment to minority hiring.
In October of last year, Bally’s leadership signed a multi-project Labor Agreement (PLA) with Chicago and Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council as an expression of goodwill to honor their commitment. The president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, Bob Reiter, spoke on the matter of employment in October. He appreciates the management of Bally’s for holding up its end of the bargain on matters related to providing meaningful work for the masses. Such a great assurance that such a massive brand would want to uplift the lives of people in the community they operate in.
According to Reiter, the mission of his organization is to give a voice to those among their population that feel underrepresented. The point of focus here is the issue of engaging the youth to warm up to the role that the trades play in pointing them in the direction of viable and inspiring career paths. Judging from the seriousness and frequency with which Bally’s addresses this matter, it is obvious that they have it in high regard.
Bally’s Chicago job prospects
To live up to its objective of hiring a team that represented diversity at every level, Bally’s recently called upon the public to attend information sessions. In addition to that, the casino operator has partnered with colleges around Chicago to train potential employees on career paths within the gambling industry. Interested students can then register for upcoming classes on their areas of interest. Provided that participants are at least 21 years old, the career guidance sessions are open to them.
As the physical structure of the casino is raised from the ground up, similar efforts are at play to get ready a capable workforce for Bally’s Chicago. In the meantime, the company is working on establishing a temporary casino at Medinah Temple in River North to reduce the waiting time for bettors who are eager to play at a Chicago-based Bally’s casino. This means that the jobs are already open and recruitment is ongoing. Even if no express information is available on hiring, a lucky job seeker could try out their luck by merely expressing interest.
The Gaming Board of Illinois recently granted approvals for two supplier licenses for the companies. To be specific, the licenses were given to the building’s owners and the owners of the land on which it sits. Although the process of establishing a casino can take months or even years, the people of Chicago have the temporary option to look forward to. Observers are optimistic that Medinah Temple will be ready for business by the beginning of summer.
Conclusion
The rate of unemployment in the world has over the past five years reached alarming proportions. Economic experts speak about job creation all the time but businesses are struggling and if anything, they are slicing their workforce. Casinos are some of the few industries that are labor-intensive to the point where every client would do with their own support staff. The vacancies might not be that generous for the upcoming Bally’s Casino in Chicago but it will lift a chunk of the unemployment load off the local administration.
