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At one point, the IGB ordered a temporary work stoppage at Bally’s permanent casino following reports of alleged ties between an unapproved dumpster service with organised crime.
Bally’s has been granted two years’ worth of extensions for the permanent project. State law allows for two-year temporary licences, but the Illinois Gaming Board approved an extension to three years in 2023. That pushed the deadline to this September, but Bally’s ultimately received another year’s worth of extensions through language included in the state’s omnibus revenue bill that was passed in June.
If the latest extension had not been granted, Bally’s would have had to close its temporary casino at Medinah Temple until the permanent venue was completed. That would have resulted in multiple months with no revenue in the market, but Kim told iGB at the East Coast Gaming Congress in April that a closure of the temporary site was “not the end of the world”.
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In July last year, Veikkaus iGaming EVP Jarkko Nordlund told iGB: “The competition will be fierce when the market opens, so we must be very competitive. Our aim is to challenge the mentality of our current position, so we need to secure market leadership.”
According to its interim report for the first half of 2026, released this week, Veikkaus reported a 1% yearly increase in sales revenue of €471.3 million ($546.8 million).
Operating profit rose to €227.7 million, up from €220.6 million, while profit for the period reached €234.2 million, compared to €229.6 million a year earlier.
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Revenue from land-based casinos edged up 1.5% to R3.42 billion, with Sun International’s share of the market rising 2.3% to 49%.
Sun International attributed the land-based growth to investments in product and marketing, with land-based casino GGR growing 4.4%. The company launched 876 new slot machines and stadium games during the period.
Bengtsson said the land-based growth reflected Sun International’s “strong execution and sound investment decisions”.
