Wisconsin could have a new casino
Wisconsin could finally have a gaming expansion, leaded by a local native tribe, if a judge benefits the operators.
US.- Wisconsin’s Stockbridge-Munsee tribe filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker and the Ho-Chunk Nation after the state allowed said tribe to expand its gambling venue east of Wausau. Now, a federal judge in the state said the Ho-Chunk Nation can move forward with a casino expansion.
“The Stockbridge-Munsee had six years to call attention to the Wittenberg casino’s alleged violations of the Ho-Chunk Compact, but failed to do so,” said U.S. District Judge James Peterson. “The Stockbridge-Munsee’s claims against the Ho-Chunk are untimely, so the court will grant the Ho-Chunk’s motion for judgment on the pleadings and dismiss them from the case. It appears that the Stockbridge-Munsee’s claims against the state may be untimely, too.”
The Stockbridge-Munsees are worried as their only casino, North Star Mohican Casino Resort, is farther from Wausau than the Ho-Chunk Wittenberg facility and this might negatively affect the revenues. The loss is estimated to be of around US$22 million, according to a study commisioned by the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe.
The state Department of Administration determined that the Ho-Chunk casino expansion didn’t violate the compacts. After that, the Stockbridge-Munsee informed the state it would withhold a US$923 thousand payment because of the claim and urged to start a resolution process. Both parts had a meeting but there wasn’t an agreement and that resulted in the lawsuit.
