Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit Opens After Nearly Three Decades of Planning

BELOIT, Wis. – The Ho-Chunk Nation opened its new casino on October 23, marking the first completed phase of a $705 million resort development. The opening follows nearly three decades of planning and introduces the tribe’s largest gaming property in Wisconsin.

Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit welcomed its first public visitors following a grand opening ceremony featuring traditional drumming, dancing and speeches from tribal leaders and local officials. The casino is the Ho-Chunk Nation’s seventh gaming location in Wisconsin.

Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit Opens with More than 1,300 Slot Machines

The new casino, located at 777 Willowbrook Road near the Illinois border, opened with more than 1,300 slot machines and over 40 table games. Its gaming offerings include blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, Mississippi Stud, three-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

The property also features several dining and entertainment options, including Draft Picks Pub House, Black River Coffee Shop, Food Truck Alley and a steakhouse. Additional facilities are expected as construction progresses on the remaining resort development.

The October 23 celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Ho-Chunk Nation President Jon Greendeer, Traditional Chief Clayton Winneshiek, Indian Gaming Association Chairman David Bean and other tribal representatives.

Greendeer described the opening as the result of more than two decades of work to overcome obstacles and advance the project. Tribal leaders emphasized the development’s cultural importance, noting the Ho-Chunk Nation’s historical connections to the Beloit area.

The tribe began pursuing the land in the 1990s, eventually purchasing the site in 2009 and submitting a federal trust application in 2012. The land acquisition received federal approval in May 2022, with construction beginning in October 2024.

$705 Million Development Expected to Create 1,500 Jobs

The casino’s opening represents the first operational phase of a wider $705 million investment that includes additional hospitality and convention facilities.

Approximately 600 jobs have already been created, according to Visit Beloit figures reported by Spectrum News 1. An estimated 900 additional positions are expected when the remaining facilities become operational, bringing total employment to approximately 1,500.

Visit Beloit CEO Celestino Ruffini highlighted the scale of the development’s potential employment impact. Rock County’s travel and tourism industry currently supports approximately 3,700 jobs, making the planned workforce at the completed casino resort a significant addition to the local hospitality sector.

The project also includes a revenue-sharing agreement with local authorities. Under a 2012 intergovernmental agreement, the Ho-Chunk Nation agreed to contribute 2% of the casino’s net win to local governments, with Beloit retaining 70% of those payments and Rock County receiving the remaining 30%.

Net win represents gambling wagers after player winnings have been deducted, rather than the casino’s final profit. Revenue estimates reported before the opening projected more than $150 million in annual net win, although actual financial results will depend on the property’s performance.

The development also introduces new competition for gaming and entertainment businesses across the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Nearby Hard Rock Casino Rockford has announced plans to expand its hotel and convention facilities, partly in response to growing competition in the region.

Hotel and Conference Center Scheduled for Fall 2027

The next construction phase will add an 18-story hotel with 312 guest rooms and a conference center designed to accommodate approximately 2,000 people. Both facilities are scheduled to open in fall 2027.

The hotel will include a rooftop lounge, lobby bar, swimming pool and spa, extending the property’s offerings beyond casino gaming. The conference center is planned to accommodate business meetings, conventions, concerts and other events.

For the Ho-Chunk Nation, the opening represents another source of revenue that can support tribal government operations and community priorities. The Indian Gaming Association said the development also demonstrates the role of tribal gaming in generating employment and investment across surrounding communities.

The remaining resort facilities are still under construction, but the October 23 opening establishes Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit as a new destination for casino visitors from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

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