Haven Gaming is preparing to open a high-end casino resort that will cater to punters in Danville and its surroundings. Haven recently revealed that the casino project would cost approximately $2230 million even though observers claim that the project could cost the LLC as much as $25o million. This new casino resort in Danville is expected to contain 40 table games and at least 1800 slot machines when it opens its doors.
Casino gaming revenue for brick and mortar casinos has been declining over the last few months. As such, any new source of revenue for the state will be a welcome addition to the burgeoning Illinois gambling market. According to city officials in Danville, the new casino resort could bring an additional $21.7 million in gaming revenue each year.
Haven Gaming intends to develop a Vegas-style resort that will add a touch of the Strip in Danville. The casino hotel will therefore contain all the amenities that you would typically find in a casino on the Strip including numerous hotels and restaurants, a state-of-the-art spa, sports betting lounges, live entertainment, a convention center, as well as table games. With this new casino resort, Danville is hoping to establish itself as the gambling destination of choice for people in the region.
Neighbouring Indiana is expected to launch its sports betting market before the year comes to a close in October. As such, the city must do everything possible to establish and grow its market before Indiana legalizes its gambling. Before the legalization of sports betting, Nevada was the closest state in the region that boasted a vibrant gambling market.
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How is Haven Gaming planning on ensuring that its casino resorts stand out as the casino of choice?
Haven Gaming has announced that it will be adopting a different casino resort business model compared to competitor brands. Haven Gaming CEO, Bill Bembenek claims that the new casino resort will be designed to offer punters in Illinois a different and better gaming experience than what they have encountered already.
Haven Gaming says that it plans to create a distinctive pattern and model that will allow its customers to enjoy the amenities and offerings as seamlessly as possible. Since the Supreme Court repealed PASPA in 2018 thus paving way for the legalization of sports betting on a state-to-state basis, the industry has grown immensely. Today, punters are spoilt for choice so if a brand wants to stand out, it must do its best to offer a one-of-a-kind experience; which is what Haven Gaming intends to do.
According to Haven Gaming’s attorney Scotty Sypolt, the mid-west has been in dire need of an elite casino resort and the brand plans to provide customers exactly that. Competing brands, including Mille Lacs Corporate, have tried constructing a casino in Danville before. However, the corporation did not succeed.
Mille Lacs Corp is the business arm of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe located in Minnesota. The corporation primarily deals with gaming and hospitality where it operates 2 casinos in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Mile Lacs wanted to construct a 1000-seat casino containing 32 table games, 2 restaurants, and a coffee house but was rejected by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Danville, which is often referred to D-Vegas by locals will finally live up to its name. Residents of Danville have been waiting for a casino resort to open up in the region for more than 30 years. The Danville City Council finally approved the casino steering committee’s recommendation of Haven Gaming as its casino operating partner in October 2019.
However, the pandemic disrupted all the plans that had been made. Haven Gaming is made up of a team of professionals with years of experience in the gaming industry and will spearhead the running of the state-of-the-art casino resort.
Specifically, the proposed casino will boast 1250 slot machines, sports betting lounges and bars, 40 table games, an entertainment venue with a 25000 seat capacity, a conference and banquet hall, a boutique hotel, a rooftop spa and salon, a 300-seat buffet, a pool, and lazy river and so many other amenities.
Haven plans to complete the development project in phases. The first phase will see the starter casino being set up, as well as one or 2 restaurants and parking. The second phase, alternatively, will see the full casino, the buffet, and the sports betting lounge completed while the third phase will see all the amenities discussed above completed.
The temporary casino could be up and running before the end of the year, depending on how well organized Haven Gaming is. The starter casino will probably hold approximately 500 slot machines and 10 to 20 table games before the permanent facility is finally set up. Depending on the weather and the state of the pandemic, the project could take between 3 and 4 years to complete.
Final Thoughts
In just the first phase alone, Haven Gaming is expected to spend at least $118 million to set up the starter casino. The project is anticipated to provide construction jobs to the tune of about 400 positions with local union workers being given precedence. In total, the 3 phases of the development project will see a least 1000 individuals from Danville gain some type of employment.
The community will also benefit greatly from the project. Community benefits to the city to be paid by Haven Gaming upfront will be $1 million. This amount will be reserved for the Boys and Girls Club, as well as making improvements to various municipal buildings, the city hall, as well as the riverfront.
The state will also use some of the funds for the city’s public safety support, as well as the Danville community college scholarships. In addition to this, the city will also receive 4% of the resorts’ yearly revenue after taxes, which could add up to approximately $1-$2 million each year. All in all, this new casino resort from Haven Gaming will be a total game-changer for Danville.
