March 16, 2021 After filing plans with the City of Des Plaines and Illinois Gaming Board last month, on Monday night, Rivers Casino Des Plaines received the green light from the City Council for its proposed $87 million expansion. Construction could reportedly begin as early as this spring at the U.S. midwestern state‘s most lucrative casino but still needs regulatory approval from the Illinois Gaming Board. And while a vote has yet to be scheduled, Rivers spokesman Dennis Culloton said the project “is in front of them,” according to the Daily Herald newspaper. Project plans: Jointly owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based gambling giant Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) and Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, if approved, the 10-year-old gambling venue will see a two-story addition built between the existing 140,363 sq ft casino building and the recently enlarged four-level parking garage located on the north side of the 20-acre Cook County property.