But by 2021 those winnings dropped by nearly a third to $893 million - an aggregate total that obscures the financial hit to individual tribes. Pandemic shocks gaming economyĬasinos drive Wisconsin’s tribal economies, generating nearly $1.3 billion in net winnings a year before the pandemic’s disruption, according to the Wisconsin Department of Administration, which tracks gaming dollars. Panelists include Mario Koran of Wisconsin Watch and Anne Thundercloud, a Ho-Chunk Nation citizen and public relations consultant. Join the Institute for Nonprofit News May 24 for a free webinar, hosted by Indian Country Today’s Dianna Hunt, on lessons learned on reaching and representing Indigenous communities from the “At the Crossroads” collaboration. “And that begs the question of what we can do to move beyond gaming.” “We were hit pretty hard by the pandemic,” said Ho-Chunk President Marlon WhiteEagle, no relation to the casino official. That’s forcing tribal leaders to confront their economy’s outsized reliance on casinos. But the pain from the temporary shutdown still lingers for the tribe, manifested in layoffs and cuts to crucial services. Two years later, casino officials say revenue is eclipsing pre-pandemic levels.

Patrons didn’t complain as the payouts kept coming, but Ho-Chunk Nation officials hardly felt lucky as their government’s economic engine sputtered amid the public health crisis. “The secondary maintenance that we had to attend to didn’t get done at all.” It was constant running for all of our employees,” White Eagle said. “There were quite a few nights where it was just off-the-wall jackpots. Verifying each jackpot kept the former slots department supervisor on his toes as a skeleton crew of his colleagues adapted to pandemic life - installing plexiglass dividers between slot machines and covering shifts for staff who felt unsafe returning to work, he said.ĭespite fewer gamblers on the floor, visitors made larger bets that triggered big prizes. This reporting was made possible with support from the Walton Family Foundation. The Institute for Nonprofit News, Indian Country Today, Wisconsin Watch and eight other news partners examined the state of the economy in Indian Country.

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