Approximately in the following years, it is likely that in Illinois you will see the appearance of more casinos. The legislation was recently signed by Governor JB Pritzker, in order to allow gambling the state to finally expand.
This legislation has included new developments near the Wisconsin border for the development of casinos in Rockford and Waukegan. The development of a casino in Illinois has been the attempt of at least some of the American tribes.
The Potawatomi hotel and casino in Milwaukee operates today in Potawatomi County, which outside its reservation is its only headquarters. The execution of a casino just 55 miles south in Waukegan is now the main objective of the tribe.
This population around your city has approximately 90,000 people. The large-scale operation in Milwaukee is larger than they expect to develop in Waukegan, according to Rodney Ferguson, CEO Potawatomi.
With respect to the Milwaukee casino, he says that this will be smaller, and with a less number of machines compared to the other, that has had good growth in the last 30 years within a million square feet since the existing market it does not give to realize something of a magnitude like this.
Before the proposal of the Menominee tribe to build a casino as a huge complex in Kenoshe, Potawatomi strongly opposed in 2013, because they felt the fear that their businesses in that place would be affected by having an operation close to Milwaukee.
This produced a series of protests by the tribe, who reached the point of withholding payments from casino fees to the state. At that time, the rejection of this project was led by Republican Scott Walker, who was the governor at the time.
Milwaukee is not that far from either Waukegan or Kenosha, so Ferguson acknowledged that the operation of Potawatomi in Waukegan would be competition for his company.
And of course, Potawatomi seeks its operation there and they are interested precisely for this reason. But it is normal and happens very often since it is common for casinos to lose some share of the percentage of profit in the market due to the constant growth to which the casino market is exposed.
Finally, establishing a presence in Waukegan is the main objective to minimize any type of risk in Potawatomi with a hotel and casino in Milwaukee.
Ferguson commented that the offer presented by Potawatomi in the city of Waukegan has been some of the few presented so far this month. Potawatomi is aware and could soon find out again if your offer in accordance with the proposal request will be accepted. If so, at the end of October the Illinois Board of Games will have to recommend finalists in the city.
On the other hand, a tribe in Wisconsin in Ho-Chunk awaits the government’s decision to build the hotel complex in Beloit, Wisconsin and a casino. While this request remains frozen by Ho-Chunk, permission for a Rockford casino near the Illinois border in Wisconsin has been signed by the governor of Illinois in the new legislation for the month of June.
Ryan Greendeer, a spokesman for Ho-Chunk, said he has no worries about the fact that these two operations are only 17 miles away, almost as soon as the proposal made by the Beloit tribe is accepted.
He also declares that in the area of the gaming market and industry, the nation of Ho-Chunk is well trained. Also, he clarifies that all casino projects and each project are made so that they can be adapted to the needs of the area. Very different from the ideas they have in Rockford since in their opinion they are only interested in setting up a hotel, a restaurant,and a casino, and now.
In Wisconsin, half a dozen casinos are currently operated by Ho-Chunk,the reason why only one person in Illinois is against (Lorri Pickens) and seeks to place other citizens against the expansion of games in the locality. He opposes the construction of a casino in Beloit since it is one of Ho-Chunk’s plans.
This person claims that there may be an increase in poverty and an addiction to gambling, as a result of the influx caused by gambling in Illinois. In addition, he says that because Rockford and Waukegan are on the Wisconsin border, at first they tend to get people out. And as this will be something new for people they are going to have an interest in knowing what its functionality is like and that is how it starts in the world of addiction.
Illinois currently has six casinos. The bill that is expected to be approved will allow the expansion of license casino games, including the “mega-casino” in the city of Chicago, and six more places.
Also, this bill apart from licensing games allows sports betting at various locations, including Wrigley Field, the headquarters of the puppies, and the home of the Chicago Bears, Soldiel Field. And to add much more, at Midway airports along with the O’Hare, they could open slot machines, just as they could do it on the tracks of horse races.
Conclusion
The hotel and the Potawatomi casino in Milwaukee are currently operating in Potawatomi County, so outside the reserve, this would be their only headquarters.
The tribe currently has as its main objective or really as the only one, to start the execution of a casino that would be located just 55 miles from southern Illinois, specifically in Waukegan. 90,000 people are the estimated population of this city.
The development in Waukegan according to, compared to the large-scale operation carried out in Milwaukee, would be smaller according to the statements issued by Potawatomi CEO Rodney Ferguson.
Hepoints out that something of such magnitude cannot clarify since the size of the market does not allow it, taking into account the Milwaukee casino, he also notes that 30 years have passed for it to grow to that size, by one million square feet.
