Bally's Chicago Chinatown shuttle faces backlash
Bally's Chicago has been criticized for quietly running a free shuttle between a temporary gaming facility at the historic Medina Temple and the Windy City's Chinatown district.
Reports emerged this week that Bally's has been transporting people to gamble from the Chinatown area, about three miles north of the casino, since October. Free buses pick up and drop off every hour in front of the Chinatown Public Library.
"Chinese people, we like to play," Chinatown resident Wing Chan told ABC Chicago.
Not everyone is excited about Bally targeting a specific audience. Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Alliance for Better Chinese Communities, said the nonprofit she leads was founded 25 years ago in response to casinos in northwest Indiana offering a similar shuttle service from Chicago's Chinatown.
I think that's concerning because Bally's seems to be particularly interested in customers coming from Chinatown," McKibben said."I think there's concern. Our concern is for people who may be addicted to gambling and may develop problems. "
McKibben said she recently learned that Bally's is operating a shuttle between the casino and Chinatown. The news about the Chinatown shuttles was broken in a report by Bullock Club Chicago, a nonprofit news organization focused on America's third-largest city.
Asian community is passionate about gambling
"If you don't play ball, you don't know how lucky you are," is a popular saying among Asian communities, including Chinese and Vietnamese. Walk into any casino in any major city in the United States and there's likely to be plenty of Asians testing your luck.
Chicago Ald. Nicole Lee, whose 11th Ward includes Chinatown, told Block Club Chicago she also worries about Asians being sent to Bally's Casino. She plans to meet with Bally's representatives and Chinatown leaders early next year to ensure the service does not fall victim to the Chinese community.
Mark Wong, general manager of Bally’s Chicago, said the shuttle is available to all passengers. He said the purpose of the shuttle was to provide "better access to the casino" and that the company had received "positive feedback" about the service in Chinatown.
In addition to the Chinatown shuttle, Bally's Chicago also operates a shuttle from the Furama restaurant at 2828 S. Wentworth in South Chinatown. Wong said the casino is considering adding more routes in 2024.
Casino Gambling 24/7
Bally's Chicago recently opened 24 hours a day.Opening in September, the temporary facility will be open daily from 8am to 4am. On December 27, following approval by the Illinois Gaming Control Board, the casino's operating hours will be 24 hours a day. .
Bally's Chicago offers nearly 800 slot machines, ranging from penny slots to $100 slot machines. The facility also offers over 50 table games, including baccarat, the game of choice for many Asian players.
The Medina Temple facility houses three restaurants, one of which caters to Asian tastes. Kitchen 888 is described as “a modern, vibrant restaurant and noodle shop inspired by Asian street food.”
Bally’s continues to move forward with the design of its permanent resort, a $1.74 billion project at the West River Liberty Center.
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Source: www.casino.org
