The long-expected Golden Nugget casino in Danville will finally be opened to the public. On Saturday, May 28, at 4:00 p.m., the casino opened its door for the first time. However, the grand opening won’t be held now.

License issued:

The Illinois Gaming Board approved the temporary operating permit for Golden Nugget Danville, and the casino decided to start using it immediately. Marcus Fruchter, the Gaming Board administrator, issued the license on Friday, Jun 2.

Beth Kaufman, the spokesperson for the Gaming Board, said that the casino inspection was conducted, and the casino has passed it. She commented: “Gaming Board officials were on site, and they went through a number of procedures that are required by law, which includes practice gaming sessions and other regulatory requirements that the casino must meet. And the Golden Nugget casino met those.”

In the beginning, the casino will be open eight hours a day, and it will be closed on Tuesdays only. 

Jimmy Wilmot, the Development President of Danville, said: “We are excited to take the next big step in the process and open our casino to the over 21 public. Please be patient and kind. Some of our team members may be a bit nervous.”

Interestingly, Wilmot belongs to the family involved in the construction of the casino, owning the Wilmorite Management Group.

An expensive investment:

Kaufman also commented on all the expenses the casino will have to pay. She said that the revenue will be directed to the government infrastructure projects. The casino has a month to pay the state a $25 million fee. In March, casino managers paid the city $1 million, which will be used to develop the riverfront.

The works on the construction began thirteen months ago. 

The first part of the casino opened to the public was its Saltgrass Steakhouse, which received its first visitors on May 12. After that, various local officials visited the casino and took a tour to see what they could expect from this long-awaited property. 

The city’s officials are happy because of the opening since they have been advocating for the casino for the past decade since the former mayor Scott Eisenhauer started mentioning that building a casino would be a great option to add many jobs and increase the tax revenue in the city.

The plans for this casino were announced for the first time in 2021. Back then, it was stated that the casino would contain various table games, slot machines, and sports betting offerings. On top of that, it is planned to include a bar and grill, with the potential to further evolve into a luxury hotel with other amenities, such as the conference center.

However, despite all of the benefits the casino will bring to the city, the officials are still concerned about the potential increase in gambling addiction and other risks, so the casino is obligated to highlight the information about potential problems and ways to help the addicts. The information can be found both in the casino and on its website.