Ho-Chunk Nation is moving forward with its plans to build a brand new casino in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The state constitution was changed four years ago when it included horse racing in the state, paving the way for casinos in the longer term. Ho-Chunk started its casino projects after the change and spearheaded projects in the Omaha and Lincoln areas.
Ho-Chunk’s subsidiary company, Warhorse Gaming, is currently working on getting those two casinos on their feet. Currently, in South Sioux City, horse racing is done at the Atokad race track in the interim, but now attention turns to the new casino project.
Work on the new casino project will not begin until Spring of 2025, reports KTIV. That is when Ho-Chunk will move the current Atokad race track to the new parcel of land south of Highway 20. When it is finished, Ho-Chunk says it will be a major benefit to South Sioux City.
“We’re (Ho-Chunk) still sort of finalizing the draft, but it will be a modest casino by most standards,“ Ho-Chunk CEO Lance Morgan told the above-mentioned publication. An estimated $50 million will go into building Ho-Chunk’s latest casino venture in South Sioux City.
The new casino, however, would compete with a nearby tribal-owned entity. “We don’t really want to hurt WinnaVegas. Our study shows us that most of the revenue will come from the Hard Rock,” said Morgan.
When complete, the project is said to include a horse racing track, and casino complete with slot machines, table games, and a sportsbook, with room for expansion to include a hotel in the future. The track and casino will be built on two 40-acre plots of land. Morgan says the track will be built on the east parcel, and the casino will be built on the parcel to the west.
Ho-Chunk will also need to convert the horse racing license to a casino license before the casino opens. Morgan says there are a lot of positives bringing the casino to South Sioux City.
“Twenty-five percent of the casino tax goes to the local city and county and so it’ll be an additional revenue source to local governments to invest in schools and infrastructure in the community,” said Morgan.
The executive says that casino tax could mean millions in additional revenue for South Sioux City and Dakota County. He added the project will also create new jobs in the community.
Construction on the casino is slated to begin in either the fall of 2025 or the spring of 2026. There is no word when the casino is expected to open.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2024/12/17/88900-nebraska-hochunk-moving-forward-with-50-million-casino-horse-racing-track-in-south-sioux-city
