Ho-Chunk Nation ready to move forward with off-reservation casino

Monday, March 18, 2019

Architectural rendering of the proposed Ho-Chunk Nation casino in Beloit, Wisconsin. Image: Cuningham Group

The Ho-Chunk Nation and its supporters in Wisconsin remain optimistic as they wait for movement on the tribe's proposed off-reservation casino in Wisconsin.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs released the draft environmental impact statement for the project in November. Supporters believe the final document will be released sometime in May, The Beloit Daily News reported.

"There aren't any current obstacles to meeting that date short of another government shutdown," Beloit City Manager Lori Curtis Luther told the paper.

The tribe is pursuing the $400 million casino in Beloit under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The law requires approval from the state governor in addition to the BIA.

"We're patient and persistent so whenever the approval process wraps up, we will be ready," Collin Price, the tribe's public relations officer, told the paper.

The only two-part determination casino in Wisconsin is operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Community. The tribe in fact was the first to complete both steps of the process back in 2000.

The BIA approved a two-part determination for the Menominee Nation only for the tribe to be rejected by the governor four years ago. The Ho-Chunk Nation and the Forest County Potawatomi Community opposed the project.

Nationally, fewer than 10 tribes have completed both steps of the process, which typically takes several years to complete.

Read More on the Story

Casino advance projected (The Beloit Daily News March 14, 2019)
How Many Casinos Could The Southern Wisconsin & Northern Illinois Market Support? (WUVM March 7, 2019)
Some Residents Thrilled, Others Leery Of Proposed Beloit Casino (WUVM March 6, 2019)
As Beloit Proposal Looms, A Look At Why The Kenosha Casino Deal Didn't Work Out (WUVM March 6, 2019)

An Opinion

Our Views: Beloit won't be getting rich quick (The Janesville Gazette February 16, 2019)

Federal Register Notices

Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Ho-Chunk Nation Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, City of Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin (November 9, 2018)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Ho-Chunk Nation Beloit Casino Project, City of Beloit, Rock County, WI (November 26, 2012)