BELOIT (WKOW) -- The Ho-Chunk Nation is building a $405 million casino in Beloit, Wisconsin near the Illinois border, after decades of planning.<\/p>\n
\"It's been a long time,\" said Ryan Greendeer, public relations officer for the Legislative branch of the Ho-Chunk Nation.<\/p>\n
This new casino -- Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit -- has been in the works since the late 1990s. Tribal leaders say they're finally close to breaking ground, with vertical construction likely to start in the next year.<\/p>\n
The casino will feature 2,200 slot machines and 50 table games. There will also be a 300-room hotel, convention center, and an indoor water park.<\/p>\n
\"This casino and resort development is expected to create approximately 1,300 jobs for the greater Beloit community, said Sarah Lock, Director of Strategic Communications for the City of Beloit.<\/p>\n
It could mean a huge economic boost for Beloit.<\/p>\n
\"The city and the county will be able to split 2% of the net wins from the Ho-Chunk Nation. We anticipate that that could be in the millions per year but that will remain to be seen as the casino is constructed and fully operational,\" said Lock.<\/p>\n
This casino is expected to bring in big revenue and lots of jobs for the city but not everyone's excited.<\/p>\n
The gaming facility will be just 20 miles north of the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois, which opponents caution may be one casino too many.<\/p>\n
\"We have 25 casinos here in Wisconsin already. It's an oversaturated market,\" said Lorri Pickens with Citizens Against Expanded Gambling.<\/p>\n
Pickens also said the proximity of these casinos pits them against each other. Tribal members disagree.<\/p>\n
\"We think that there'll be complementary to each other. We're looking at different demographics,\" said Greendeer.<\/p>\n
\"I really highly doubt that they build the $405 million structure,\" said Pickens.<\/p>\n
Pickens doesn't believe this development will be lucrative for Beloit because she expects this casino will be scaled back.<\/p>\n
\"You'll see more of a boutique type of casino, I doubt there's a convention center with that or any of those other luxury items that they have proposed,\" said Pickens.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have any plans to scale those back, perhaps we'll see a different way of like furnishing them,\" said Greendeer.<\/p>\n
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is working to put the land the casino will be built on into a trust. After that process, tribal officials said they can start working with the city for a groundbreaking date.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read the original here: <\/p>\n
Opposition to major Ho-Chunk Nation casino project in Beloit - WKOW<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BELOIT (WKOW) -- The Ho-Chunk Nation is building a $405 million casino in Beloit, Wisconsin near the Illinois border, after decades of planning. Continue reading