Native American-owned casinos across Wisconsin have temporarily closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, Governor Tony Evers directed Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to issue an emergency order prohibiting mass gatherings of 50 people or more statewide to limit the spread of the virus.
Elected officials of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, including President Marlon WhiteEagle, met on Monday, March 16 to consider the governor’s order and “discuss our options.” They ended up declaring a state of emergency which “requires gaming enterprise operations to transition to critical functions as soon as practicable but not later than Friday, March 20. Reopening is anticipated for April 4. This timeline will be re-evaluated and could change,” the tribe said in a statement. Affected properties include Ho-Chunk Gaming-Madison, Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Black River Falls, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Tomah, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Nekoosa, Ho-Chunk Gaming-Wittenberg.
In Milwaukee, the Forest County Potawatomi Community closed its Potawatomi Hotel & Casino closed Tuesday, March 17. General Manager Rodney Ferguson said, “At this time, the health and safety of our guests and the 2,700 team members at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is the top priority. We will remain in communication with local health officials and update guests, team members and community as warranted.” Employees will continue to be paid.
Ferguson confirmed a casino floor manager had become ill but was not given a coronavirus test since there was no proof she had direct contact with another person with the illness.
The Oneida Nation closed its Oneida Casino near Green Bay on Wednesday, March 18, instead of Saturday as previously announced, for 14 days. At a news conference Gaming General Manager Louise Cornelius said, “We have a very complex operation. Preparation for closing multiple properties takes tremendous cooperation and collaboration from our gaming departments, Oneida gaming revenues provides our community with the funds for our critical programs and services, as well as meet the vital needs of our people. It was extremely difficult to entertain the thought of closing our doors.”
Chairman Tehassi Hill said the casino closure is unprecedented. The goal is to help lessen the impact by making sure families are receiving a paycheck. “I wouldn’t be able to disclose the revenue projections on a weekly basis, but it is substantial. We are continuing to pay our employees who are required not to work at that time.”
He noted the decision to close came after consulting with Wisconsin’s 11 tribes and reviewing actions taken by casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans voluntarily closed its North Star Mohican Casino-Resort for two weeks at midnight, Saturday, March 21. In a statement, Tribal President Shannon Holsey said, “We recognize the grave consequences that disease can have on populations, as well as the seriousness of the current global pandemic. We will continue to re-assess the situation as it seems to evolve hour-by-hour.”
Holsey noted tribal employees will continue to be paid during the shutdown. “We don’t want to cause any unnecessary hardship,” she said. The tribe is Shawano County’s largest employer with 1,000 employees in gaming and other enterprises.
The Menominee Tribe closed its Menominee Casino Resort on Tuesday, March 17. Acting General Manager Tony Sadler said the casino is committed to monitoring and responding to the evolving pandemic.
