The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is proposing a $110 million commercial casino in downtown Sioux City, Iowa.

Ho-Chunk Inc, the tribe's economic development corporation, formed a new company to bid for the license. Two options for the land-based casino will be presented to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, where applications are due November 1.

"We want to win," Ho-Chunk Inc CEO Lance Morgan told The Sioux City Journal.

Under Iowa law, casino operators must partner with a non-profit. So the tribe is forming its own "Qualifying Sponsoring Organization" because Missouri River Historical Development, the holder of the existing Sioux City riverboat license, is joining up with Warner Gaming, a Las Vegas developer, to bid on the new land-based casino.

The $100 million MRHD proposal will follow the "Hard Rock" theme. However, Warner owns the name separately from Hard Rock International, which is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

"I think it'll be better than the Hard Rock," Morgan told KMEG-TV of Ho-Chunk's proposal.

Get the Story:
Ho-Chunk pitches casino options for Warrior and Pearl sites (The Sioux City Journal 10/12)
Ho-Chunk, Inc. Says Chips Are All In For Its Land-Based Casino Proposal (KCAU-TV 10/11)
Ho-Chunk Incorporated wants to partner with a non-profit to build a casino in Sioux City (KTIV-TV 10/11)
Ho-Chunk Announces New Name For Terra Center & Local Casino Proposal (KMEG-TV 10/11)
Betting On A Land-Based Casino (KMEG-TV 10/11)
Hard Rock Casino seen as easy sell in Sioux City (The Omaha World-Herald 10/12)
Hard Rock proposes $100M casino complex in Sioux City (Nebraska Radio Network 10/12)
$100 million Hard Rock casino proposed in Sioux City (The Sioux City Journal 10/11)

Related Stories:
Winnebago Tribe foresees $100M commercial casino in Iowa (8/21)