On November 1, the ribbon was cut to officially open the new million expansion at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg in Wisconsin. “There was just a mob of people rushing in as we opened up the doors,” said Public Relations Officer Collin Price. “Anytime you open up something brand new it’s got a lot of buzz and excitement. And that is something we really worked hard at is generating the buzz and excitement for new players. Also rewarding our existing customers over the years. Everyone was really excited.”
Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg Senior Manager of Public Relations LeAnthony Pecore said, “We doubled our floor size. In a new area, we added a high stakes and non-smoking. There will be 10 electronic table games. That includes roulette, blackjack, and Texas Hold ‘Em.” He added, “In about the middle to end of November, we’ll be opening our three-meal restaurant that will seat 84 people. And finally, by the end of January, we’ll have our 86-room hotel complete.”
Pecore noted the expansion created about 80 new jobs. “The area has been trying to expand and trying to build from the facility that they’ve had. Now that it’s here it’s like overjoyed or it’s kind of like a surreal type of feeling,” he said.
Just a few days earlier U.S. District Judge James Peterson ruled the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans waited too long to seek a preliminary injunction blocking slot machines and table games at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg. He claimed the Stockbridge-Munsees knew about gaming compact violations they allege the Ho-Chunk committed since the Wittenberg casino opened in 2008, and therefore they should have filed the lawsuit before 2014 when a 6-year statute of limitations ended, instead of this April. Stockbridge-Munsee officials said they will appeal the ruling.
