The Ho-Chunk Nation, one of the largest federally recognized tribes of Wisconsin, has released new details about their upcoming Ho-Chunk Gaming Casino in Beloit. This ambitious project will significantly expand the tribe’s gaming businesses from its six current locations. Drawing from its substantial experience, the tribe hopes to attract guests with a world-class casino and leisure experience.

The Project Must Overcome Several Challenges

April 2020 saw the tribe finally receive permission from the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs to place 73 acres along Interstate 90 at Colley and Willowbrook roads into federal trust after petitioning for the land for decades. The Ho-Chunk Nation successfully argued that its people had long-standing historical ties to Beloit, located along Wisconsin’s southern border with Illinois.

The Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit casino will donate 2% of its GGR annually to local governments in return for Class III gaming privileges. This local share shall be further divided, with the City of Beloit receiving 70% and Rock County receiving 30%. Furthermore, 5% of annual GGR from Class III operations will go to the state of Wisconsin, rising to 5.5% if annual revenue goes above $350 million.

Despite the tribe’s ambitions, the new project must contend with the planned Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois, owned by Florida’s Seminole tribe. The Hard Rock location is just a 20-minute drive away and will likely open before Ho-Chunk’s casino, raising concerns regarding their competing interests in the area.

The Casino Will Bolster a Rich Cultural Heritage

Ho-Chunk’s $405 million project, a rather ambitious undertaking, would add a casino, convention center, and an 18-story hotel. The 240,478-square-foot casino would boast a 62-seat bar, four restaurants outdoors with patios, and a 76,413-square-foot conference center. The 312-room hotel will feature a lobby bar, rooftop bar, spa, and other attractive amenities. 

The development has also spurred significant infrastructure upgrades throughout the area. The City of Beloit stands to benefit from $13 million in federal funds to upgrade roadways and infrastructure around the casino site. Improvements will include adding bike and pedestrian lanes on connecting roads, more traffic lights, and improvements to intersections.

The new casino should deliver an economic windfall for Beloit and the surrounding communities in terms of jobs and tourism. It also reflects Ho-Chunk Nation’s commitment to fostering economic development while creating activities further honoring their historical ties in the area. As it matures, the project will redefine the local hospitality landscape and raise a new benchmark for gaming and entertainment in the region.

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The National Human Trafficking Hotline reports at least 200 cases of human trafficking in the state alone, and there are suspected to be hundreds more than go undetected.

Some of the victims of human trafficking are sent to casinos, which is precisely why the Lincoln Warhorse Casino and its parent company, Ho-Chunk, are going through training to help members of staff spot the signs of human trafficking and act preemptively.

Fighting Human Trafficking Before It Has a Chance to Take Off

Human trafficking cases have been on the up between 2017 and 2021. Now, casinos are taking the matter even more seriously and offering extensive training to their employees so that they can identify and stop the crime.

Commenting on this new initiative, Ho-Chunk director of government affairs Rachael Johnson said that casinos and businesses in general need to be aware of the issue and sober up to the fact that unpleasant as the reality is – this kind of crime may be permeating into local communities.

The initiative has brought together a number of individuals and experts, including Lynnette Grey Bull, founder of Not Our Native Daughter, which is an organization that raises awareness for raising awards about exploited and murdered indigenous women. Bull explained that indigenous women are most susceptible to violent crime and becoming the target of ethnic or violent crime:

I am both Lakota and Northern Arapaho. The statistics that hang over my head is I am the most stalked, raped, murdered, and sexually assaulted out of every woman in this country.

Not Our Native Daughter’s Lynnette Grey Bull

Focus on Protecting the Victims and Stop the Traffickers

Meanwhile, Women’s Center for Advancement president and CEO Jannette Taylor emphasized how important it is to work towards tackling the issue. Human trafficking has a serious impact on people’s lives. It may take up to five years in order to save victims. Yet, proper training could happen.

Taylor is confident that businesses can do their role, and notes that there are certain periods of time when trafficking “spikes:”

In Omaha, we have the College World Series, we have Berkshire Hathaway, we have all these big events where people from all over come to the city. And trafficking during that time, it just sort of sparks.

Women’s Center for Advancement’s Jannette Taylor

Hotels, casinos, gaming venues, and other businesses need to be aware of the problem and seek to resolve it by offering continuous training to their staff and monitoring for the early symptoms of the issue as well.

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