Rolling the dice for a Hard Rock Casino in Kenosha

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is once again betting on a Kenosha casino. The tribe’s dream of a jackpot failed before, but now, they hope the agreement move foward. 

Leaders of the Menominee tribe met with officials from the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County to sign an intergovernmental agreement for the proposed Kenosha Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

"You know, signing this adds a lot of pressure," said Tribal Chair Gena Kakkak. "We are signing for the hopes and dreams of my grandchildren."

The agreement was signed with Kenosha mayor John Antaramian and County Executive Samantha Kerkman.

"We are ranked lowest in healthcare in the state of Wisconsin. We are one of the poorest tribes in the state of Wisconsin," Kakkak said. "This would benefit our health outcomes and being able to take care of our elderly, providing quality education opportunities for our Menominee kids."

The proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino would transform farmland in Kenosha right off I-94 and 60th.

"They want to be a partner to make sure our streets are the safest," Kerkman said. "On the human services impact, again, making sure people have the resources they need, if they need additional help."

The Menominee tribe will officially ask the federal government's Bureau of Indian Affairs to approve the off-reservation casino.

"We are hopeful we will hear something later this fall," said Joey Awonohopay, chair of the Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority. "We are hoping through the new guidelines for putting land into the trust, that we will fall into [a] six-month timeline."

If the federal government does approve, then the final stop is Gov. Tony Evers’ office, where the hallway is lined with flags of the state’s 11 tribes. The governor has the final say.

Back in 2015, then-Gov. Scott Walker rejected a Hard Rock at a different site in Kenosha County.

"There was a lot of heartache and a lot of heartburn," Awonohopay said.

The rationale was the state could lose money because of Wisconsin's agreement with the Potawatomi. That tribe would be able to hold back payments to Wisconsin for lost profits of up to $250 if another casino is built within 36–50 miles.

At the end of the day, the state could potentially lose money and that could be the sticking point the governor could reject because of that. 

"That could be a possibility if it was a different type of project, but again, we’re feeling optimistic with this project," Awonohopay said. "When we’re looking at the longevity of the project, it’s a better turnout for the state of Wisconsin, for my tribe and for Kenosha County in the long run. The numbers are a little debatable in the beginning years of the project, but as we start moving further and further into the actual operation, it all comes out as Wisconsin being on top and the taxpayers not having to pay a single cent for it. It’s competition, right? We should be able to compete respectively with each other."

Now, Kenosha is placing a bet that they think this time might luck out.

"Competition, I think, is good," Kerkman said. "Why can’t we have two? People like to come into Wisconsin for a weekend and maybe go to Kenosha for a night and go to the Potawatami the next night."

If the federal government gives the okay, the governor will have a year to approve, but could also get a six-month extension.