A proposed off-reservation casino owned and operated by the Menominee Tribe is looking more likely.
With the support of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and a favorable state Gaming Compact that awaits a federal review, the Menominee Tribe is poised to move forward with its planned off-reservation casino in Kenosha.
The $800 million Menominee-Hotel & Casino would be financed by the Florida Seminole Tribe, which owns the Hard Rock company, Indianz.com reported. The site also reports the project is expected to generate 10,000 construction and casino jobs.
To help appease the Potawatomi Tribe, which operates a casino in Milwaukee, the Menominee Tribe agreed to pay for any losses incurred due to the Kenosha casino, WXPR Radio reported. That agreement must be approved by federal authorities, and WXPR reports the Menominee Tribe has doubts that it will pass muster.
If it doesn’t win federal approval, Walker recently assured the Potawatomi Tribe the state will make payments if it loses money due to the Kenosha casino’s opening.
Kenosha is located along Lake Michigan a few miles north of the Illinois border and a short drive from Chicago and its many highly populated suburbs. The Potawatomi Tribe’s Milwaukee casino is a big draw for Illinois visitors, but a Kenosha casino would siphon a large portion of Illinois gamblers.
Opposing the Kenosha casino, the editorial board of the state’s largest newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, says Walker likely does not have the authority to guarantee state payments to the Potawatomi. The editorial board also warns the Kenosha casino likely would reduce job opportunities in Milwaukee.
“There’s a good argument that the gambling market is saturated. Demand for both the state lottery and casino gaming has “slowed significantly,” the Journal Sentinel said. “Another casino does not grow the pot; it just takes money out of others’ pots.”
