The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently held a public forum regarding the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s application to have 129 acres of tribal land near Shabbona in DeKalb County, Illinois placed in federal trust. Dozens of residents showed up at the event which moves the tribe a step closer to opening a Class II facility with 24-hour bingo halls including 800 electronic bingo games, a multipurpose room and restaurants. The casino, which would be the first Native American gambling facility in Illinois, would 400 new jobs with a million annual payroll. Officials said it would attract an estimated 900,000 visitors a year and generate million dollars into the area economy.
The BIA’s environmental impact study for the proposed casino will take 18 to 24 months to complete. It will not require a license from the state.
Village President Claudia Hicks said, “Shabbona has long awaited for the Nation’s plans to come to light. We are a small community, 950 in the community, and we have no jobs and any jobs we have that come in, I’m for it.” She asked the BIA not to take too long in approving the land for the gaming project.
DeKalb County Building Trades Council President Matt Swanson said, “The desired project will benefit Shabbona and DeKalb County in numerous ways. It will create numerous well-paying construction jobs, permanent jobs and substantial income for the county.” Tribal Treasurer Hattie Mitchell noted, “We anticipate that our project will bring 655 construction jobs, 400 direct employment operations positions, an estimated $17 million in annual payroll and $12 million in purchases of goods and services by the operation from Illinois vendors and service providers.”
Among the dozens of attendees, an estimated half spoke against the casino, including DeKalb County Taxpayers Against The Casino President Paul Dordal. “Casinos make their profits on the backs of their regular customers. Money leaving the county will outweigh the casino payroll by perhaps 4 to 1. Opening a casino here would be like closing a large employer here.”
John Kindt, professor of business and economic policy at the University of Illinois, a long discredited gaming opponent, said, “When these consumer dollars are going into gambling they’re not being spent to buy cars, refrigerators and even the necessaries of life. We’ve shown around these establishments that people are spending 10 percent less on food, 25 percent less on clothing, 37 percent have raided their bank accounts in order to gamble. That’s not economic development.”
