Illinois: Golden Nugget Casino Danville developers deliver first $1M check to the city

Golden Nugget Danville Casino developers presented the Illinois city on Wednesday with the first $1 million check as part of the Host Community Agreement during a sneak preview of the casino. The check presentation was for the city’s riverfront development.

Invitees got to see the main gaming floor, which includes slot machines bases waiting for the slot machines and other gaming areas waiting for the tables. Danville Development President Jimmy Wilmot conducted a tour showing the sports betting terminals, sports bar and cafe areas, and other amenities such as the Saltgrass Steakhouse.

He also explained that the casino has a lot of light coming into it through the windows and its openness, unlike most dark, windowless casinos of the past, reports Commercial-News. In terms of employment, Wilmot said the casino has been having good luck in finding employees so far, and that the goal is to have about 100 dealers when they first open. This is in addition to others and for food and beverage.

As part of Danville Development’s Host Community Agreement that the city approved in 2020, developers Wilmorite Construction and Wilmot family, now working with Golden Nugget as part of Danville Development, committed $3 million in one-time donations to the Danville Riverfront Improvement project, the Boys and Girls Club of Danville for a teen center addition, and the Danville Municipal Project to address city buildings.

“We have been working with all organizations to make sure that as their plans need funding, we are there to provide our commitment. We will continue to do so and fund accordingly,” Wilmot stated, as per the cited source.

Wilmot said they will continue with the casino construction progress to hopefully open in the next couple of months. The parties have a primarily finished casino floor, which is one of the first turnover spaces for the operations team. During the next several weeks, there will be slot machines and tables going in, as well as some security cameras and lighting fixtures.

Rendering for the completed casino

He explained that, afterward, everything on the floor will be tested, and then they will turn over other spaces. “Soon thereafter, we’ll be turning over back-of-house spaces. We’ll be starting the kitchens and firing them up, and getting all our fire code numbers and approvals," the executive noted.

All the licensing requirements with the Illinois Gaming Board are the last step, according to Wilmot. “We have 300 employees. Every one of them has some sort of degree of licensing. So, we’ll continue to work with them," he added.

There is no official opening date set for the casino. The Danville Golden Nugget casino gaming floor will feature up to 500 traditional and the latest video technology slot machines. Table games will include 14 Las Vegas-style games including Mini-Baccarat, Blackjack, 3-Card Poker, Craps, Mississippi Stud, Roulette and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em. There also will be a Sportsbook, online gaming and digital sports betting.