(Above) Rendering by HKS Architects of the Bally’s casino and hotel being constructed along the Chicago River.

By Steven Dahlman

May 18, 2025 – Bally’s has decided to drop racial limitations from its planned $250 million initial public offering (IPO) for its $1.7 billion Chicago casino project.

Following lawsuits by the Liberty Justice Center and the American Alliance for Equal Rights, Bally’s acknowledged that the initial requirements limited investment opportunities mainly to Black and other racial minority investors. The company will prioritize residents of Chicago and Illinois but will no longer have clear preferences based on race or gender.

“No one should be excluded from participating in our economy on the basis of their race or sex,” Reilly Stephens (left), Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, told Cook County Record. “We are glad to see Bally’s new offering allows the people of Chicago to invest in one of the city’s premier projects without discrimination or exclusion.”

Meanwhile, a similar lawsuit from the American Alliance for Equal Rights is still pending, with United States Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings urging the parties to either dismiss the case or provide updates on their resolution efforts.