The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe in Idaho still intends to build a large casino on a parcel of land in Elmore County, about 90 minutes northwest of Twin Falls, but details about the project are scarce. The tribe already operates the Shoshone Rose casino on its reservation land.
The tribe had a vote on September 23 to gauge interest for the proposal, but the results were not released to the public. It is unknown whether the majority of residents on the reservation want a casino that isn’t within their borders.
Recent stories in the tribe’s newspaper, the Sho-Ban News, reported that the tribe wants the casino to pay for aging infrastructure and other community needs.
But BoiseDev, a local business newspaper, ran a story saying that many tribe members it interviewed were opposed to such a plan. They were concerned at the distance the casino would be from the reservation. They contend that there is plenty of land on the reservation for such a project.
The proposed casino would be near land close to Interstate 84 near the Mountain Home Air Force Base. Plans call for a casino with 2,000 electronic gaming machines. Also included are a 250-room hotel, six restaurants, 8-lane bowling alley, two movie theaters, 15000-square-foot event center, and an arcade. There will also be a horse racing track with a grandstand.
This is not the only casino proposed near Mountain Home. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, which is based on the Duck Valley reservation on the border between Idaho and Nevada, wants to build a casino and has sent a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They also sent information to Idaho Governor Brad Little but they seem to be further behind the process than the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe.
An environmental impact report was commissioned by the tribe for the Mountain Home casino and it was reported that it would bring $187.2 million into the local and state economy each year and create more than 1,200 jobs.
Tribe representatives have said the casino approval process is lengthy and it will be years before it is completed.
