Operator News

US – Ho-Chunk Nation’s casino in Beloit gets Governor’s blessing

By Phil - 26 March 2021

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has given the green light for the Ho-Chunk Nation to open a casino and entertainment complex in Beloit, saying it will create jobs and help the region recover from the economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $405m gaming and family entertainment destination will include a casino, hotel, convention center, restaurants, and waterpark and will create 1,500 permanent jobs and 1,000s of construction jobs to the site in an economic win for the Nation, the Beloit area, and the State of Wisconsin.
Governor Evers said: “As we work to bounce back from this pandemic, we must do everything we can to support economic development in communities across our state. The Ho-Chunk Nation and local officials in Beloit and Rock County have been working together toward providing jobs and long-term economic support in the region, and this is an important step forward in making the Beloit casino a reality.”

By announcing his concurrence, Gov. Evers agreed with the Secretary of Interior’s April 2020 determination that taking the land into trust for the purpose of gaming would be in the best interest of the Ho-Chunk Nation and would not be detrimental to the surrounding community. The proposal now moves on to the next stages of the approval process. The Department of Interior must issue its final determination on whether to take the land into trust, and the Governor and the Ho-Chunk Nation must complete an amendment to the Nation’s gaming compact to address the new Beloit casino and related issues.

“We are incredibly excited to have this great news of the Governor’s concurrence today,” said Ho-Chunk Nation Vice President Karena Thundercloud. “We also want to thank the City of Beloit, Rock County, and our respective communities for all the support over the past several years. We look forward to the day when we can celebrate everybody who is helping this project along.”

“Not only will the Ho-Chunk Nation bring economic development, job growth and entertainment to our community, but the Nation will also provide cultural and historical education to our residents,” said Beloit City Manager Lori Curtis Luther. “We look forward to welcoming the Ho-Chunk Nation back to their home.”

The complex would include one of the largest casinos in the state, a 300-room hotel with more than 45,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, and an approximately 40,000 square foot indoor waterpark. The Nation also plans to develop additional entertainment or retail businesses on an adjacent property. The complex would be located just north of the Illinois border and immediately west of I-39/90.

“As our community strives to recover from the impact of COVID-19, we are thankful that carefully planned projects like this can continue to move forward,” said Beloit City Council President Regina Dunkin. “An entertainment destination of this magnitude is a win for the entire Greater Beloit region and will provide job opportunities for our residents. We sincerely thank Governor Evers for his careful review and approval of this project.”
Beloit City Council President Regina Dunkin added: “This project has been a long time coming and is a game-changer for Beloit in terms of jobs created, shared revenues and increased tourism.”

Beloit City Manager Lori Curtis Luther commented: “The City of Beloit remains optimistic and hopeful that we can celebrate a groundbreaking soon. The City of Beloit is committed to working with the Ho-Chunk Nation on this development. Not only will the Ho-Chunk Nation bring economic development, job growth and entertainment activity to our community, but the Nation will also provide cultural and historical education to our residents. We look forward to welcoming the Ho-Chunk Nation back to their home.”