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Menominee: Gaming Compacts Equal Consent for a Kenosha Casino

The Menominee tribe says it will meet Gov. Walker's criteria for building a new casino, including consensus among 11 tribes, even though two remain opposed.

Walker gave the Menominee until today to meet three demands, in order for him to approve its request to develop an $800 million Hard Rock casino at the former Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha.

One was to win approval from the 10 other tribes in Wisconsin. According to a release from Menominee Chair Craig Corn, "We believe that through the existing gaming compacts and the support we’ve received from other tribes, we have reached consensus for our project among the tribes."

Corn says he has reached out repeatedly to the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk to discuss what they need in order to support the proposal. The two have remain opposed, claiming a Kenosha casino it would harm their gambling venues in Wisconsin.

Another of Walker's conditions is that there be no new net gaming in Wisconsin. Menominee leaders explain that a Kenosha casino would replace the dog racing track there, plus the tribe would close one of its two existing casinos in Wisconsin.

The third condition is that the community supports a huge gambling venue. Many Kenosha leaders are on board with the development.

The final decision rests with the governor.

He plans to meet with Menominee representatives on Wednesday. They say the tribe needs the money an off-reservation casino in this region could generate, to improve the lives of tribal members.

According to Corn, "the benefits of a Kenosha casino to the state are too good to turn down."