The Ho-Chunk Nation has opened its $705 million casino in Beloit, Wisconsin, about three decades after it started buying back land there. Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit opened on Friday, 23 October, just north of the Illinois state line, and is now the tribe's largest gaming property.
Key takeaways
- The 240,000-square-foot casino has 1,300 slot machines and 33 table games.
- It is expected to generate more than $150 million in annual net win.
- More than 600 people already work there; the total should reach about 1,500 when the hotel opens.
- Phase two, an 18-storey, 312-room hotel and conference centre, is due in fall 2027.
- Wisconsin, the city of Beloit and Rock County will receive a share of gaming revenue.
A Project Three Decades in the Making
The Beloit casino took about three decades to go from idea to opening. Beloit was once part of the Ho-Chunk homeland, and the tribe began buying back land there in 1992. Beloit residents voted in favour of a casino in a local referendum in the early 2000s. The formal application to place the land into federal trust was filed in 2012.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers gave state approval in March 2021. In May 2022, the Bureau of Indian Affairs made its final decision to take about 33 acres into trust for gaming. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on 25 October 2024, and the casino opened almost exactly two years later.
The budget grew a lot over that time. When the governor approved the project, it was estimated at about $405 million. The final cost of the full development is $705 million.
"We've been fighting 12-headed dragons for over 20 years to make this happen today," said Jon Greendeer, President of the Ho-Chunk Nation. "I'm so happy to see all of our partners come together, like the cast of a Broadway play."
The road to opening day
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Ho-Chunk Nation begins buying back land in Beloit |
| Early 2000s | Beloit residents back the casino in a local referendum |
| 2012 | Land-into-trust application filed; revenue-sharing agreement with the city signed |
| March 2021 | Governor Tony Evers grants state approval |
| May 2022 | Bureau of Indian Affairs gives final approval |
| October 2024 | Groundbreaking ceremony |
| 23 October 2026 | Casino opens to the public |
| Fall 2027 | Hotel, conference centre and parking structure due |
What's Inside
The casino at 777 Willowbrook Road, next to Interstate 90, covers about 240,000 square feet. The gaming floor has 1,300 slot machines and 33 table games, including blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, Texas Hold'em, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Three Card Poker and Mississippi Stud.
The property also has a range of places to eat and drink. Draft Picks Pub House is a two-level sports bar with large video walls. Food Truck Alley has three street-food outlets. Live Wire Lounge sits in the middle of the casino floor and has a raised stage for live music. An upscale steakhouse, FYR, and a coffee shop are due to open soon.
Visitors queued for hours before the doors opened, some of them from far outside the area. The opening ceremony included traditional drumming and dancing, a flag-raising, a live DJ and appearances by former NFL players.
Jobs and Money for the Region
The casino already employs more than 600 people. When the hotel and conference centre open, the property is expected to employ about 1,500 and to become Beloit's largest employer.
For Rock County, which has about 3,700 people working in travel and tourism, that would mean nearly 50% more tourism jobs. "That is a major tidal wave unlike any seen in the state of Wisconsin in recent history," said Celestino Ruffini, CEO of Visit Beloit. "This project is the true example of patience and persistence. This community has waited for nearly three decades for this project to come to fruition."
Local governments will also share in the gaming revenue. Under an intergovernmental agreement first signed in 2012, the tribe pays local governments 2% of the casino's net win. The city of Beloit receives 70% of that money and Rock County 30%. Wisconsin's state share is set at 5%. If the casino reaches the forecast of $150 million in net win, that would mean about $3 million a year for the city and county and about $7.5 million for the state. Beloit has already said it will use its first casino payments in 2027 for a new police station.
"We're going to create those jobs. We're going to buy those supplies. We're going to use those services. We're going to help you grow."
— Jon Greendeer, President, Ho-Chunk Nation
Tribal leaders say the income will also pay for services for the Ho-Chunk people, including health care, education, elder care, housing, public safety and cultural programmes. "What we build here should make life better for our people," said Vice President Lambert Cleveland Jr. "Our nation knows how to keep going."
Returning to Ancestral Land
For the tribe, the opening is also a cultural milestone. One of the Ho-Chunk Nation's largest historic settlements stood near where Turtle Creek meets the Rock River, close to the new casino. "Our villages are just down the road here. Places where we picked our medicine, places where we fasted, places where we battled and so this has always been home to us," Greendeer said. "While it seems like the drums are just beating down here in Beloit for the first time, they're just continuing."
Tribal Chief Clayton Winneshiek said the tribe's businesses had grown from smoke shops and bingo halls to full casino resorts, with more attention now on the communities around them. "It's been years since we looked at this, and today it's with a lot of struggles and a lot of good minds that put forth to bring this," he said.
A Border Rivalry With Rockford
The Beloit property sits about 17 miles north of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, which opened its permanent venue in August 2024 and is now one of the top-earning casinos in Illinois. Both properties are just off I-90 and draw on the same customers from northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and the Chicago area.
The neighbour gave a friendly response. Hard Rock Rockford welcomed the new casino, and its vice president of finance, Wendy Alsteen, encouraged players to choose whichever entertainment experience suits them best. The two casinos are taxed very differently. Illinois commercial casinos pay graduated state wagering taxes, while the Ho-Chunk property operates under a tribal-state compact. That difference could matter when the two compete on promotions and player rewards.
Ho-Chunk's Seventh Wisconsin Casino
Beloit is the seventh and largest Ho-Chunk Gaming property. The others are in Black River Falls, Wisconsin Dells (Baraboo), Madison, Nekoosa, Tomah and Wittenberg. It is the tribe's first casino on the state's southern border, where it can draw players from the Illinois market.
What Comes Next
- Phase two (fall 2027): an 18-storey, 312-room hotel, a conference centre with up to 2,000 seats and a parking structure. These should bring in overnight guests and convention business.
- More dining: FYR steakhouse and a coffee shop will complete the first-phase food and drink offer.
- Revenue results: the first full year of trading will show whether the property reaches the forecast of more than $150 million in net win.
- Competition: how Hard Rock Rockford and other northern Illinois casinos respond on promotions and loyalty rewards will be worth watching.
After about three decades of land purchases, referendums, agreements and federal reviews, Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit is finally open. The first phase is running, and the hotel and conference centre are due next year.
