As excavators make way for Chicago’s future mega-casino, the leader of the corporation behind the River West development believes Bally’s is poised to start “eating a lot of people’s lunches” in an Illinois gambling market already saturated with numerous casinos and video gaming options.

Bally’s chairman Soo Kim made that confident declaration after a whirlwind summer for Bally’s was capped Tuesday with crews beginning demolition of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant at 777 W. Chicago Ave. The site is slated to be transformed into a casino by September 2026.

Kim brushed aside critics — including some from City Hall — who have questioned whether Rhode Island-based Bally’s could complete the $1.34 billion casino project, let alone compete in a region that already has more places to gamble than Las Vegas.

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