Forest County Potawatomi Community applies for commercial casino license

Monday, August 5, 2019  

The Forest County Potawatomi Community is seeking to expand its gaming enterprise.

The tribe already operates the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The facility could soon be joined by one in Waukegan, in neighboring Illinois.

"The city of Waukegan is in search of a qualified developer to bring a first-class entertainment experience with their new casino. Having successfully operated in this gaming market for several decades, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is a natural fit to develop this project and create the entertainment destination that Waukegan is seeking," Rodney Ferguson, the chief executive officer and general manager of the existing property, said in a news release.

The city of Waukegan sent out a request for proposals for the casino on July 3. The deadline to apply was August 5 and Forest County Potawatomi was one of six applicants, according to news reports,

Waukegan is about 55 miles from the Potawatomi casino in Milwaukee. It's much further from tribal headquarters in Crandon -- more than 260 miles -- but the tribe said Waukegan falls within its ancestral territory.

A new Illinois law authorizes up to six casinos in the state. Ten are already in operation.

The Ho-Chunk Nation, incidentally, is seeking to open a casino in Beloit, Wisconsin, right near the Illinois border. The tribe is pursuing the off-reservation project under federal law.

The Forest County Potawatomi Community followed the same process when it opened the Milwaukee casino back in 1990. It was the first to be approved under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The Illinois project would be operated under state law.

Potawatomi wants to build casino in Waukegan, Illinois (BizTimes August 5, 2019)
Potawatomi submits application to develop new casino in Waukegan (CBS 58 August 5, 2019)