Rockford casino proposal takes on urgency as Beloit plans move ahead

ROCKFORD — State Sen. Dave Syverson has been pushing for a Rockford casino for years. The Rockford Republican says casinos were started in Illinois to keep money from leaving the state, and that continues to be a big issue.

“That was clear last year when it was reported that $1.6 billion left Illinois just to go to the five surrounding states for entertainment and casinos in those locations,” Syverson said, “and now you add to it what could be the largest gaming casino in the Midwest in Beloit. Now you’re taking that number over $2 billion a year.”

Syverson was talking about a Ho-Chunk Nation tribal casino planned north of Rockford just over the Wisconsin state line. Past efforts there had been stymied by intertribal conflicts and resistance from state and federal government.

But at a noisy public gathering in Beloit, Ho-Chunk Nation President Wilfrid Cleveland said a number of those issues have been resolved. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is on board along with local officials, Cleveland said. With a new administration in Washington, he’s now confident the expansive resort and casino complex will happen.

Read more: http://rockrivertimes.com/2018/05/18/rockford-casino-proposal-takes-on-urgency-as-beloit-plans-move-ahead/