That was how we began and how we continue to operate to this day.” Drivers of downtown developmentīally's plans to develop and operate Chicago’s casino on a parcel of industrial land that previously housed a Chicago Tribune publishing facility. “We wanted to ensure that our restaurants would have business, our service centers would have business, our hotels would have business. “Our desire was to create an investment in our community that would foster enhanced economic development,” Laurie said. The city tied the funds the casino project generated to redeveloping its aging civic center and auditorium to bring new investments and renewed energy to the city’s downtown.

“You're seeing a wholesale expansion of gaming across the country,” said Debbie Laurie, city manager in Bangor, Maine.Īfter a state referendum legalized casino gaming in Maine, Bangor’s main street became the site of the first state-licensed casino. Each of these is in or close to the city’s downtown. Richmond, Virginia, is pursuing a casino. Horseshoe Casino, Baltimore’s first, opened in 2014. Columbus, Ohio’s Hollywood Casino opened in 2012 with the goal of revitalizing an economically depressed neighborhood. Harrah’s opened a casino in New Orleans in 1999.

What cities have casinos