For starters, the Menominee Indian Tribe wants to work in partnership with Hard Rock, the brand owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which recently launched sports betting in the Sunshine State despite strong local opposition.

The collaboration between the two was previously known, but the Menominee Indian Tribe is hoping to elicit a stronger response from lawmakers on whose goodwill the proposed project hinges. A vote at the city council authorizing the sale of a crucial piece of land to the tribe was due earlier this year, but the process was eventually postponed, and the issue has hit a hiatus.

Menominee Indian Tribe Resolved about Kenosha Casino

Now, tribal leaders want to associate themselves with the prominent brand and bring about a 70,000-square-foot casino which will house 1,500 slot machines along with 55 live dealer table games and a dedicated sportsbook.

Sports betting is available in Wisconsin through a tribal compact negotiated with the state, allowing the Menominee Indian Tribe to run sports betting operations. Holding onto this opportunity, the tribe now wants to secure a partnership that will see its investment pay off.

Spending $360 million on a casino resort seems intuitive to the tribe, and the right way to ensure the sustainability of tribal operations and the community they serve. Commenting on the new project, Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority chairman Joey Awonohopay noted that the time to move forward with this project felt right.

“The plan is to build it all out immediately. We intend to secure funding to build it all out,” he added. Interestingly, this is not the first time the tribe has tried to establish a casino resort, nor is it the most grandiose design to begin with.

Earlier attempts to see the Menominee Tribe establish a casino were snubbed by Gov. Scott Walker who took a dim view of allowing gambling to proliferate on his watch. The Menominee Tribe’s eye-watering $800 million investment did not prove enough to sway the governor and change his mind.

Although the exact price tag of the new investment is now established, there are hurdles to clear as well. The tribe would have to convince Kenosha to sell it 60 acres of city-owned land, expanding the tribe’s sovereignty this way, but it’s not that simple, as the purchase itself is not enough to put the land under the tribe’s sovereignty alone, and the federal government would have to step in.

Negotiating a New Tribal Compact

Should this plan clear, the tribe would also need to accomplish what it couldn’t under Walker’s watch – ask for Class III permission to run gambling operations in the state. The current governor, Tony Evers, seems to be a little less gung-ho when it comes to gambling, but whether the Menominee Tribe convinces him is another matter altogether.

Awonohopay is confident that the tribe is indeed going to bring a lot of value to the city and the state, and the Menominee Tribe is moving forward to publicize its plans in the hopes of raising awareness for the project and the argued benefits therein.

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A lucky Texan has grabbed the $360 million Mega Millions jackpot, becoming the recipient of the largest prize a Texas Lottery player has ever gotten.

The player, who is yet to claim their prize as of the time of this writing, is said to have purchased the ticket at a convenience store near Sam’s Club in San Angelo. The store is set to receive a $1 million bonus for having sold the winning ticket.

The lucky Texas Lottery player successfully matched all six numbers. For reference, the numbers were the following: 12, 24, 46, 57, 66. The Mega Ball number, which the player also matched correctly, was 22.

According to the Texas Lottery, the player has opted to go with the cash value option at the time of the purchase. For reference, it was $156.9 million before taxes before the drawing.

The jackpot won by the lucky Texan started in August. Initially sitting at just $20 million, the prize was rolled 14 times before finally being hit. This is also the 14th Mega Millions jackpot to be won by a Texan and the first since 2019 when another lucky player grabbed a $227 million prize.

In the meantime, thousands of players won smaller prizes ranging from $2 to $10,000.

The Lottery Advised the Player to Seek Financial and Legal Advice

The Texas Lottery congratulated the lucky player on winning the October 6 prize with the company’s executive director, Gary Grief, saying:

We are absolutely thrilled to have a big Mega Millions jackpot winner right here in Texas and we’re eagerly looking forward to meeting and congratulating the Lone Star State’s largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot winner.

Gary Grief, executive director, Texas Lottery

The player now has 180 days to claim their prize. Grief encouraged them to sign the ticket and put it in a safe place. Then, according to the director, the winner should seek financial and legal advice and should then call the Texas Lottery before going to Austin to claim the prize.

The Mega Millions jackpot will now be reset to $20 million. In the meantime, the Powerball Jackpot soared to $1.4 billion following the latest draw.

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