While a downtown Chicago Casino is high on everyone's lists. And I like the idea of a Lakeside Casino as an adaptive reuse for a great piece of architecture. We all assume it is the convention goers that will populate the downtown site.
Keep in mind that convention goers are on expense accounts. It is easy to expense fine dining and drinks as entertainment. Casino receipts will be under much more scrutiny and no company is going to reimburse casino loses.
It might be prudent to look at where Indiana Casinos get their clientele. After all it is the competition.
All Indiana casinos run shuttle buses to Illinois.
Ceasars Hammond Horseshoe runs 20 daily shuttle buses to Chinatown alone
Another 3 trips are from the northside starting at Belmont/Clark running south with several stops finally picking up at Hyatt McCormick. So that is only 3 shuttles on a 8 stop route that include McMK.
4 shuttles are dedicated to Argyle/Broadway.
5 shuttles dedicated to Diversey
5 shuttles depart McCormick/Devon in west RP
6 shuttles depart Harlem/Foster
5 shuttles from Bridgeview-Harlem
4 shuttles from Harlme/25th in North Riverside.
Hammond Horshoe runs about 52 shuttles daily to Chicagoland, 20 of those to Chinatown. they run ZERO shuttles to any Indiana location.
Ameristar East Chicago
Runs HOURLY from 2734 Archer & Wentworth Chinatown 8 am- 12 am (16 total).
And then 6 daily trips from 13th and Wabash total 22 trips from Chicago. They have no other scheduled shuttles.
Majestic Star in Gary runs 17 daily shuttles from Chinatown(2734 S. Wentworth) last pickup at 3:30am. They do not run any other shuttle.
That is 91 daily shuttles from Chicagoland to Indiana casinos. That is future Chicago Casino base customer. That is who Chicago needs to target, because the are here and they are gambling already. Just capturing 70% of the outflow would be a win and then add the convention goers spending.