The Bureau of Indian Affairs gave final approval on May 13 for 33 acres of land to be placed into trust for the Ho-Chunk Nation’s proposed casino in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Tribal Vice President Karena Thundercloud said, “The Nation, our partners and this community have been anticipating this moment for years. There’s been some skepticism about the timeline because of the nation’s reliance on the federal processes but we’ve been confident in the project’s viability and look forward to a bright future for Beloit, the state of Wisconsin and the Ho-Chunk Nation.”
Beloit voters approved the project in a 1999 referendum, and the tribe purchased the land in 2009. It filed a land-trust application with the Department of the Interior in 2012. Governor Tony Evers approved the plan in 2020.
The tribe proposes to build one of the largest casinos in Wisconsin, with 2,000 slots and 50 gaming tables, plus a 300-room hotel, 45,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, five restaurants and a 40,000 square foot indoor waterpark. The venue is expected to create 3,000 construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs.
Ho-Chunk Public Relations Officer Ryan Greendeer said the project will be completed in several phases; phase one of the project will involve infrastructure work including road improvements and utility work. Greendeer said, “We don’t have a construction schedule readily available yet, but we are hoping to get it underway as soon as possible. Of course, we have a government procurement process that requires requests for proposals and bids, so it isn’t exactly like corporate construction timelines.”
About 18 miles away in Rockford, Illinois, Hard Rock: An Opening Act opened in November; ground is expected to be broken for the permanent Hard Rock Beloit this summer. Rockford Casino President Geno Iafrate congratulated Ho-Chunk on the news of its BIA approval, stating, “Congratulations to the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Beloit region. Welcome to the neighborhood!”
