When Bally’s Corp. won a bid to build a $1.7 billion casino on Chicago’s riverfront, the gambling company pledged to give women and people of color an opportunity to own a 25% stake in the project.
City leaders said they wanted Bally’s to build wealth in Chicago — among other hiring and construction requirements — in exchange for the rare opportunity to build the first Las Vegas-style casino there.
Now, that financing plan is challenged by a lawsuit from Edward Blum, the conservative activist behind the lawsuit that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Blum for years has fought to remove racial preferences from college admissions, corporate boards, internships and other aspects of American business and life.
