Latest news with #WindCreek
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stock the Pantry: Wind Creek
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — One out of every four children along the Central Gulf Coast is food insecure. Wind Creek Assistant General Manager Jonathan Nall joined WKRG's Stock the Pantry campaign, a partnership with Feeding the Gulf Coast to help provide meals for children during the summer months. Wind Creek is asking for nonperishable food donations such as canned soup and protein bars until April 30. Find a Stock the Pantry drop-off location near you. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wind Creek opens hotel Friday at Chicago-area's fastest growing casino
The nascent Wind Creek Chicago Southland, which continues to gain ground as the state's fastest-growing casino, is upping the ante Friday with the soft opening of its 255-room hotel. Guests can book reservations online for the inaugural weekend at the relatively lofty south suburban hotel, starting at $389 per night, according to the website. Choices range from a tidy 350-square-foot room to the expansive Ultra Suite, which will set you back more than $1,500 for a night of high-rolling luxury overlooking the Tri-State Tollway cloverleaf interchange in East Hazel Crest. While it may be a long way from Las Vegas, Wind Creek, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, opened its permanent, 70,000 square foot gambling palace in November, and quickly established itself as the second busiest casino in Illinois. In March, Wind Creek hit new highs with nearly $16.9 million in adjusted gross receipts – up 25% month-over-month – and drew more than 219,000 visitors, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Overall, the state's 16 casinos generated $170.9 million in adjusted gross receipts and welcomed 1.39 million visitors last month, both figures up by more than 21% over February. Rivers Casino Des Plaines once again topped the list, at $43.7 million in adjusted gross receipts and 260,000 visitors in March, according to the Gaming Board. Hard Rock Rockford, which moved from a temporary casino to a larger permanent facility in August, ranked third, with $13.1 million in adjusted gross receipts and 129,000 admissions. The development of new casino facilities is clearly paying off big for the state. Casino revenue in the first quarter of 2025 grew 11.7% to more than $456 million, with about 3.7 million admissions, a 23% increase. But nearly all of that growth has come from Wind Creek and the new permanent casino at Hard Rock Rockford during the first quarter. Wind Creek generated $43.6 million in revenue – all new money – and Hard Rock nearly doubled to $35.6 million. Rivers Casino remained on top with $120 million in revenue, but that was down 7.8% from the first quarter of 2024, according to Gaming Board data. Most Chicago-area casinos showed year-over-year revenue declines in the first quarter as the new players gained market share. Bally's Chicago ranked sixth in revenue among the state's casinos with $29 million during the first quarter, a 4% year-over-year decline. It ranked fourth in admissions at about 310,000, roughly flat compared with 2024. Bally's generated $2.95 million in local taxes for Chicago in the first quarter, according to Gaming Board data. That's $100,000 behind last year's pace, which produced $16 million in tax revenue for the city — about half of the city's projected goal. Longer term, Chicago is counting on Bally's to create a tourist magnet and profit center, generating $200 million in projected local annual gaming tax revenue. The city and Bally's are banking on the development of a planned $1.7 billion permanent casino to significantly boost revenue and admissions next year. Bally's Chicago, which opened a temporary facility at Medinah Temple in September 2023, has broken ground on the entertainment complex at the site of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant in River West. The proposal includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000 gaming positions — twice that of any other casino in the state. Last year, Bally's had to relocate its planned hotel tower from north to south of the casino after it was determined that driving caissons into the ground might damage municipal water pipes along the Chicago River. The target date for opening the permanent Bally's casino and hotel is September 2026. A spokesperson for Rhode Island-based Bally's said there are no new updates on the development's progress Monday. Meanwhile, the future begins Friday at Wind Creek, whose new hotel amenities will include a spa, indoor pool, fitness center, restaurants, bars and event space. While not nearly as ambitious as the proposed Bally's Chicago facility, the Wind Creek casino and hotel nonetheless has a big head start in turning the south suburbs into a gambling hotspot. rchannick@
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Wind Creek opens hotel Friday at Chicago-area's fastest growing casino
The nascent Wind Creek Chicago Southland, which continues to gain ground as the state's fastest-growing casino, is upping the ante Friday with the soft opening of its 255-room hotel. Guests can book reservations online for the inaugural weekend at the relatively lofty south suburban hotel, starting at $389 per night, according to the website. Choices range from a tidy 350-square-foot room to the expansive Ultra Suite, which will set you back more than $1,500 for a night of high-rolling luxury overlooking the Tri-State Tollway cloverleaf interchange in East Hazel Crest. While it may be a long way from Las Vegas, Wind Creek, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, opened its permanent, 70,000 square foot gambling palace in November, and quickly established itself as the second busiest casino in Illinois. In March, Wind Creek hit new highs with nearly $16.9 million in adjusted gross receipts – up 25% month-over-month – and drew more than 219,000 visitors, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Overall, the state's 16 casinos generated $170.9 million in adjusted gross receipts and welcomed 1.39 million visitors last month, both figures up by more than 21% over February. Rivers Casino Des Plaines once again topped the list, at $43.7 million in adjusted gross receipts and 260,000 visitors in March, according to the Gaming Board. Hard Rock Rockford, which moved from a temporary casino to a larger permanent facility in August, ranked third, with $13.1 million in adjusted gross receipts and 129,000 admissions. The development of new casino facilities is clearly paying off big for the state. Casino revenue in the first quarter of 2025 grew 11.7% to more than $456 million, with about 3.7 million admissions, a 23% increase. But nearly all of that growth has come from Wind Creek and the new permanent casino at Hard Rock Rockford during the first quarter. Wind Creek generated $43.6 million in revenue – all new money – and Hard Rock nearly doubled to $35.6 million. Rivers Casino remained on top with $120 million in revenue, but that was down 7.8% from the first quarter of 2024, according to Gaming Board data. Most Chicago-area casinos showed year-over-year revenue declines in the first quarter as the new players gained market share. Bally's Chicago ranked sixth in revenue among the state's casinos with $29 million during the first quarter, a 4% year-over-year decline. It ranked fourth in admissions at about 310,000, roughly flat compared with 2024. Bally's generated $2.95 million in local taxes for Chicago in the first quarter, according to Gaming Board data. That's $100,000 behind last year's pace, which produced $16 million in tax revenue for the city — about half of the city's projected goal. Longer term, Chicago is counting on Bally's to create a tourist magnet and profit center, generating $200 million in projected local annual gaming tax revenue. The city and Bally's are banking on the development of a planned $1.7 billion permanent casino to significantly boost revenue and admissions next year. Bally's Chicago, which opened a temporary facility at Medinah Temple in September 2023, has broken ground on the entertainment complex at the site of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant in River West. The proposal includes an exhibition hall, a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants and 4,000 gaming positions — twice that of any other casino in the state. Last year, Bally's had to relocate its planned hotel tower from north to south of the casino after it was determined that driving caissons into the ground might damage municipal water pipes along the Chicago River. The target date for opening the permanent Bally's casino and hotel is September 2026. A spokesperson for Rhode Island-based Bally's said there are no new updates on the development's progress Monday. Meanwhile, the future begins Friday at Wind Creek, whose new hotel amenities will include a spa, indoor pool, fitness center, restaurants, bars and event space. While not nearly as ambitious as the proposed Bally's Chicago facility, the Wind Creek casino and hotel nonetheless has a big head start in turning the south suburbs into a gambling hotspot.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Sports Network and Wind Creek sponsorship deal teams new sports network and casino
There's still no deal with Comcast, but the Chicago Sports Network announced a major marketing agreement Wednesday with the recently opened Wind Creek casino that could be a game-changer for both fledgling ventures. The sweeping sponsorship package will add the Wind Creek name to 'The Chicago Lead,' the network's signature 6 p.m. roundup and lead-in to nightly play-by-play broadcasts. In addition, CHSN will broadcast the show live each month from the south suburban casino, along with other high-profile onsite promotional events. 'We're a new brand, we're a new facility,' said Ken Rohman, chief marketing officer for Wind Creek Hospitality. 'It gives people a reason to come into the casino.' Wind Creek will also be a prominent commercial advertiser across all CHSN platforms and programs. CHSN President Jason Coyle called the sponsorship a 'truly significant' step in the evolution of the startup regional sports network, but both he and Rohman declined to disclose the terms of the agreement. Both CHSN and Wind Creek launched in the fall, with the casino enjoying a somewhat smoother early trajectory than the regional sports network. A joint venture between the Bulls, Blackhawks, White Sox and Nashville-based Standard Media, the Chicago Sports Network supplanted NBC Sports Chicago, the 20-year-old regional sports network whose broadcast rights expired in September. CHSN went live in October on pay-TV platforms DirecTV and Astound, and over the air with WJYS-Ch. 62 in Chicago. It has since added streaming service FuboTV and rolled out its own direct-to-consumer streaming app. But two-thirds of the way through its inaugural Bulls and Blackhawks seasons, CHSN has yet to reach a carriage agreement with Comcast, essentially blacking out the teams to 1 million Chicago-area viewers. A Comcast spokesperson Tuesday said there were 'no updates' to the ongoing negotiations with CHSN, presaging a lost season for many fans of Chicago's struggling NBA and NHL teams. Opening day for the White Sox, coming off the most losses in a season in major league baseball history, is on deck for next month. Coyle likewise said there was 'nothing new to report' on the Comcast front, declining to offer specifics on the negotiations. 'We're ready to go when they are,' Coyle said. Meanwhile, Wind Creek Chicago Southland opened its new 70,000-square-foot casino in East Hazel Crest on Nov. 11 to large crowds, and its business has continued to grow. The facility features 1,400 slot machines, 56 table games and other attractions, with a 252-room hotel set to open early this year. Last month, Wind Creek generated nearly $13.3 million in adjusted gross receipts and drew more than 171,000 visitors, ranking second among the state's 16 casinos, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama-based Wind Creek started with a bingo palace in 1985. It opened its first casino in 2009 and now operates 9 casinos and two dog tracks in the U.S. and Caribbean, including its new suburban Chicago property. Rohman, a Chicago native now based with the company in Alabama, said his understanding of the city's passion for sports helped drive the deal with CHSN. While it only opened in November, Wind Creek is already in its third season of a six-year deal as the official casino of the Chicago Bulls, a sponsorship that preceded its launch by two years. The casino had initially targeted a 2023 opening, but COVID-related construction delays pushed the start date back a year, Rohman said. Adding a twist to the new Wind Creek promotional partnership, CHSN has an ownership connection to a rival casino company. Standard Media, which owns 15% of CHSN, is part of Standard General, the New York-based hedge fund which also controls the Bally's casino chain, including its nascent flagship in Chicago. While Wind Creek has yet to open its planned sportsbook, the tie-in with CHSN is a natural marketing partnership that will not only build the brand, but actually deliver potential customers to their door, Rohman said. 'By bringing live audiences in, they're taking it one step further than with traditional media,' Rohman said. 'Traditional media is: Advertise to your people and pray that they'll come. The partnership we've got with CHSN is they're bringing their fan base in a bus for us.' rchannick@
Chicago Tribune
12-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sports Network and Wind Creek sponsorship deal teams new sports network and casino
There's still no deal with Comcast, but the Chicago Sports Network announced a major marketing agreement Wednesday with the recently opened Wind Creek casino that could be a game-changer for both fledgling ventures. The sweeping sponsorship package will add the Wind Creek name to 'The Chicago Lead,' the network's signature 6 p.m. roundup and lead-in to nightly play-by-play broadcasts. In addition, CHSN will broadcast the show live each month from the south suburban casino, along with other high-profile onsite promotional events. 'We're a new brand, we're a new facility,' said Ken Rohman, chief marketing officer for Wind Creek Hospitality. 'It gives people a reason to come into the casino.' Wind Creek will also be a prominent commercial advertiser across all CHSN platforms and programs. CHSN President Jason Coyle called the sponsorship a 'truly significant' step in the evolution of the startup regional sports network, but both he and Rohman declined to disclose the terms of the agreement. Both CHSN and Wind Creek launched in the fall, with the casino enjoying a somewhat smoother early trajectory than the regional sports network. A joint venture between the Bulls, Blackhawks, White Sox and Nashville-based Standard Media, the Chicago Sports Network supplanted NBC Sports Chicago, the 20-year-old regional sports network whose broadcast rights expired in September. CHSN went live in October on pay-TV platforms DirecTV and Astound, and over the air with WJYS-Ch. 62 in Chicago. It has since added streaming service FuboTV and rolled out its own direct-to-consumer streaming app. But two-thirds of the way through its inaugural Bulls and Blackhawks seasons, CHSN has yet to reach a carriage agreement with Comcast, essentially blacking out the teams to 1 million Chicago-area viewers. A Comcast spokesperson Tuesday said there were 'no updates' to the ongoing negotiations with CHSN, presaging a lost season for many fans of Chicago's struggling NBA and NHL teams. Opening day for the White Sox, coming off the most losses in a season in major league baseball history, is on deck for next month. Coyle likewise said there was 'nothing new to report' on the Comcast front, declining to offer specifics on the negotiations. 'We're ready to go when they are,' Coyle said. Meanwhile, Wind Creek Chicago Southland opened its new 70,000-square-foot casino in East Hazel Crest on Nov. 11 to large crowds, and its business has continued to grow. The facility features 1,400 slot machines, 56 table games and other attractions, with a 252-room hotel set to open early this year. Last month, Wind Creek generated nearly $13.3 million in adjusted gross receipts and drew more than 171,000 visitors, ranking second among the state's 16 casinos, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. Owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama-based Wind Creek started with a bingo palace in 1985. It opened its first casino in 2009 and now operates 9 casinos and two dog tracks in the U.S. and Caribbean, including its new suburban Chicago property. Rohman, a Chicago native now based with the company in Alabama, said his understanding of the city's passion for sports helped drive the deal with CHSN. While it only opened in November, Wind Creek is already in its third season of a six-year deal as the official casino of the Chicago Bulls, a sponsorship that preceded its launch by two years. The casino had initially targeted a 2023 opening, but COVID-related construction delays pushed the start date back a year, Rohman said. Adding a twist to the new Wind Creek promotional partnership, CHSN has an ownership connection to a rival casino company. Standard Media, which owns 15% of CHSN, is part of Standard General, the New York-based hedge fund which also controls the Bally's casino chain, including its nascent flagship in Chicago. While Wind Creek has yet to open its planned sportsbook, the tie-in with CHSN is a natural marketing partnership that will not only build the brand, but actually deliver potential customers to their door, Rohman said. 'By bringing live audiences in, they're taking it one step further than with traditional media,' Rohman said. 'Traditional media is: Advertise to your people and pray that they'll come. The partnership we've got with CHSN is they're bringing their fan base in a bus for us.'
