St. Croix Chippewa Enterprises

  A Brief History

  Beloit FEIS Appendices (80meg PDF)
  Beloit FEIS (10meg PDF)
  Oberly Historical Statement

  Opposition to BIA Guidance memo
    - Chairperson Hindsley's written
      testimony to the Committee
     2-27-08 NEW!
    - Professor Washburn Testimony
     2-27-08 NEW!
  Lawsuit Filed 12-07-07
  - Lawsuit Text
     Part 1 (PDF)
     Part 2 (PDF)
  Court Apperance 12-12-07
    - Hearing Transcript 12-12-07
  Lawsuit Ammended 01-10-08
  Reply Brief 01-29-08 NEW!
    (includes BIA Indian Gaming Paper)
  Feds Dismiss Complaint 06-28-07
    - C Artman Letter to Ho-Chunk 06-26-07
    Regional Approval 12-04-06
    Notice of Intent 04-27-04

  Project Leadership Team
  Online Contact Form


Articles Strong support for casino Tribes...
As the proposed casino project for Beloit winds its way through the fourth year in the process, support for the project appears to be stronger than ever.
Casino, Yes
By wide margin, Beloiters support gaming complex
Big step for casino
Regional BIA recommends approval, by Julie Becker, Monday, January 8, 2007 (Beloit Daily News)
Dueling views of the past
Chippewa, Ho-Chunk spar over historical presence at site, by Julie Becker, Monday, March 26, 2007 (Beloit Daily News)
Ho Chunk Rebuttal (Jan '07)

Front Row: Chairman Eugene Bigboy - Bad River Tribe, BIA Regional Director Terrance Virdin, Chairman David Merrill - St. Croix Tribe
Back Row: Council Member Myron Burns Sr. - Bad River Tribe, Vice Chairman Lewis Taylor - St. Croix Tribe, Sec/Treasurer Leo Butler - St. Croix Tribe, Council Member Gloria Benjamin - St. Croix Tribe, Council Member Hazel Hindsley - St. Croix Tribe (January 2007)

Welcome to the home page of the Beloit Casino Project, your source of information on the pending trust land application of the Bad River and St. Croix Chippewa Tribes for a casino resort to be located in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Invited to Beloit
In 1999 officials from the southeastern city of Beloit, Wisconsin approached the Bad River Chippewa Indians for the purpose of creating the Beloit casino.

Landslide Victory
In November of 2000, Beloit voters approved the casino project with a 61% majority. Nearly 75% of all registered voters participated in the landslide victory.

Agreements Signed
In 2001, The Bad River and the St. Croix Tribes formally entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the city of Beloit. Each succeeding Beloit City Council since 2001, has unanimously endorsed the terms of the Agreement. Rock County, Wisconsin is also a participant in the deal.

More than just a casino
When complete the Beloit Casino Project will include a casino, convention center, hotel, multiple restaurants, theater, day care facility and a year round water park.

Jobs, Jobs and MORE Jobs
An estimated 1500 workers, most of them from the local building trades, will be required to construct the Beloit Casino Project. When complete 3,000 workers will be needed to keep the project running - competitively waged permanent jobs and benefits.

Regional Impact
A full Environmental Impact Study (EIS) has been completed to insure that this project will work - not only for the Bad River and St. Croix Tribes, but for Beloit, Rock County and the entire Stateline Area. The full EIS can be accessed by clicking on the STUDIES icon.

Approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
In January of 2007, Terry Virdin, the Regional Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), signed off on the Beloit Casino Project Trust Land Application, and sent it to the Central Offices of the BIA in Washington D.C. with an endorsement for approval.

Current Status
Officials at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C are currently completing a formal administrative review of the Beloit Casino Project Trust Land Application. In order for the project to move forward, an approval must be received from the Secretary of the Department of Interior.

The final step in the approval process is that of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin.

Lawsuit Filed
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin filed a COMPLAINT FOR DECLATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The Complaint concerns the Tribe’s Beloit, Wisconsin Trust Land Application with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and asks the Court to prevent specified procedural changes by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the trust land approval process as specified by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA Section 2719(b)(1)(A).

Click here to read the full release.