The project, which was officially given the green light by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in August 2021, will take place at Wrigley Field.
The three-storey building, one of the first across the US to be physically attached to a ballpark, will be open year-round and is set to feature an open-air rooftop deck.
Despite some objections from fans surrounding the prospect of altering what is a historic stadium, the project was passed by all voting authorities.
Crane Kenney, President of Business Operations, Chicago Cubs, commented: “No one’s more protective of Wrigley Field than we are. You know how strongly we feel about it. It’s one of the jewel boxes of baseball, and so the sportsbook will be consistent with the things we’ve done so far.
“Change is not always welcome at Wrigley Field, but that corner has been really busy for my whole life with the team going back to 1994. This is taking one more step to a permanent structure where I think we should grade pretty well on being protective of the character of Wrigley Field. It doesn’t mean we won’t change things.”
In January 2022, the Washington Nationals became the first baseball franchise to open a retail sportsbook attached to a ballpark. BetMGM partnered with the MLB team to build a structure next to National Park, where the Nationals play home games.
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have both shown interest in adding a retail sportsbook to their respective stadiums.
