Chicago casino project accused of not allowing white men to invest in plan: Blatantly discriminatory
A new casino slated to open in the heart of downtown Chicago is being accused of violating U.S.civil rights laws by allegedly preventing white men from investing in the project – a move that has prompted a lawsuit.Bally’s Chicago is a $1.7-billion dollar casino and resort slated to open in the Windy City’s River West neighborhood in 2026.
The expansive complex is projected to be Illinois’ biggest casino, boasting a 500-room hotel tower with a rooftop bar, a riverwalk, thousands of slot machines and a 3,000-seat theater.Bally’s will be the city’s first casino; its bid was selected by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2022. As part of the Host Community Agreement Bally’s signed with the city of Chicago, the casino committed to 25% minority ownership.
The HCA was drafted in accordance with a 2019 state law expanding gambling in Illinois.Currently, in order to take part in the casino’s $250 million initial public offering, one must meet its “Class A Qualification Criteria,” part of which states that an investor must be a “minority or woman.”A minority is defined as “African-Americans, American Indians, Asian-Americans, Hispanics” and other groups deemed by the city to be “socially disadvantaged” including Arab Americans, per the Municipal Code of Chicago.The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty is suing Bally’s Casino and members of the Illinois gaming commission for what they allege is racial discrimination.
WILL is representing two would-be investors who say they were denied the ability to take part in the project because of their race – Richard Fisher and Phillip Aronoff – who are part of the American Alliance for Equal Rights, which is also a plaintiff in the case.The lawsuit alleges that Bally’s is in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first Ku Klux Klan Act and years of Supreme Court precedent by preventing White men from buying stock in their company.The suit also alleges that Bally’s is preventing sharehol...