Casino news source: The Times Online - http://www.thetimesonline.com/
Plans for tribal casino at standstill
LYNWOOD: Application letter sent in March has yet to be reviewed, official says
From Sunday, January 28, 2007 11:55 PM CST
BY TERRIE HENDERSON
LYNWOOD | A Ho-Chunk Nation tribal casino won't become a reality in Lynwood any time soon, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
That's because a letter sent in March 2006 to the bureau notifying it of Ho-Chunk Nation's intent has yet to be reviewed, bureau spokesman Gary Garrison said.
Federal law permits tribal gaming only on a reservation or on land held in trust by the U.S. government, a process which usually takes years.
The Times reported in October that the Ho-Chunk Nation's application letter reached the bureau ahead of a bill sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that could curb reservation gaming.
The letter's purpose was to inform the bureau that the Ho-Chunk Nation wants to start the process of placing its Lynwood land in a federal trust.
But not only has the letter not been reviewed, Garrison said he doesn't think the letter will be evaluated any time in the immediate future.
Garrison said the bureau has limited staff and must deal with applications that arrived before the Ho-Chunk Nation's application, he said, adding there are 43 pending applications.
Once the application is reviewed, there will be a lengthy process that must take place -- including an environmental study of the land -- before a trust can be granted, he said.
Katie Matha, Ho-Chunk tribal public relations officer, said although the process has been started, nothing is currently happening with the Lynwood site.
"We just have to wait to hear back from (the bureau)," Matha said.
While the future of a possible casino, which has been discussed for about three years, may seem far off, village officials still see the potential benefits, Village Attorney Michael Marovich said.
The Ho-Chunk Nation's original plans included building a casino, movie theater, gas station, water park, hotel, several sports facilities and strip malls, Marovich said. He said the village would receive a percentage of the profits from the entertainment center.
The Ho-Chunk Nation first announced plans for the entertainment complex on 432 acres in Lynwood, just west of the Indiana line, in April 2004.
It would be the first tribal-run casino and the only land-based casino in Illinois, where state law restricts gambling to vessels in water.
"We want a casino. We are not opposed to it. But it is up to the federal government. ... It is out of the village's hands," Marovich said.
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