US asylum-seeker denied casino jackpot due to legal status

• Downtown Bally’s temporary casino has refused to pay out a $1,250 jackpot to a patron
• The patron is an immigrant and an asylum seeker who has applied through the official channels and has an Illinois-issued driver’s license
• Despite this, he has been refused his jackpot payout, prompting him to seek media attention

Downtown Bally’s temporary casino in Chicago,located at 600 N. Wabash Ave. in the River North, became the scene of an interesting jackpot win involving an immigrant. Although the jackpot amount won was relatively small - $1,250, the ensuing struggle to obtain those funds proved cumbersome.

The man who one, identified as Nick (not his real name), is an immigrant and an asylum-seeker in the United States. He has applied through the official channels and has been granted a temporary permit to stay in the country legally, and was also issued a temporary driver’s license by the state of Illinois.

Nick, though, came head-to-head with Bally’s after he won the aforementioned jackpot on Tuesday, December 20, before he was refused payout due to his immigration status. His temporary driver’s license, even though an officially recognized document, did not help.

Finally, Nick turned to CBS News Chicago and spoke with correspondent Sabrina Franza, explaining the situation. The man said that he has been going to and fro with the casino over the past days, trying to secure his jackpot.

As to Franza, she said the media outlet had reached out to the Illinois Gaming Control Board, which did not specify which statute or body would be competent to determine whether the jackpot win is payable under the circumstances involving Nick’s case.

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