New south suburban casino, 'ultimate entertainment experience' could open next week

HOMEWOOD, Ill. (WLS) -- On Thursday, Chicago's south suburbs showed their new casino.

"It's exactly what we envisioned and beyond that," Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld said.

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It's a safe bet the Wind Creek Chicago Southland casino could open sometime next week, after final approval from the Illinois Gaming Board.

"More than gaming, it's a whole lot more than just a casino. It's someplace you want to come for the ultimate entertainment experience," said Cathye Amos, Wind Creek Chicago Southland executive director of marketing.

Located near Interstate 80 and Halsted Street, the $529 million project is a 75,000-square-foot venue, with its casino located within East Hazel Crest city limits and a parking garage located on adjacent land in Homewood.

It's estimated the casino could generate around $2 million in revenue each year for the Southland region.

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"It's been a 12-year timeframe that we've been working on getting this done, and it's obviously coming to fruition. And it's well worth it," East Hazel Crest Mayor Thomas Brown said.

In December of 2021, the parent company of Wind Creek, which manages nearly a dozen casino and other gaming properties for the Alabama-based Poarch Band of Creek Indians, got preliminary approval from the state to build and operate the casino as a part of state legislation expanding casino gambling in Illinois.

"Long we have talked about how Chicagoans are going to Indiana. This presents an opportunity for them to stay right here in Illinois, and allow us to benefit from them spending their dollars here," said state Rep. Will Davis, a Democrat representing the 30th District.

Wind Creek will feature around 1,400 slot machines and 56 table games.

The casino boasts a 13,000-square-foot buffet, along with a 10,000-square-foot entertainment area, creating over 1,000 permanent jobs.

Aside from being a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility, some say it's an experience rivals that of any in Las Vegas.

"At the end of the day, all casinos offer the same thing: steakhouses, craps tables. It's really the engagement of the team members, employees that really make the difference, and that's truly our ace in the hole," said Roger Kuehn, Wind Creek Chicago Southland general manager and executive VP.

The 16-floor hotel tower is slated to open in early 2025.