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Ho-Chunk's Las Vegas-Style Casino Games Fold

Poker, Roulette, And Other Carnival Games End June 30

POSTED: 11:00 pm CDT June 4, 2004
UPDATED: 12:57 pm CDT June 5, 2004

Still want to try poker, roulette, or craps at the Ho-Chunk Casino? If so, you'll have to hurry.

  SURVEY
Are you disappointed Ho-Chunk is shutting down roulette, craps, poker and other carnival games?
News 3 has learned the tribe's new games will end at midnight June 30.

In a public notice sent to News 3, the tribe said it would comply with the state Supreme Court's ruling and shut down the expanded table games. The May 4 ruling said the governor doesn't have the power to negotiate permanent gambling compacts that add Las Vegas-style games.

Jayne Crom is a former blackjack dealer and a long-time patron at the Ho-Chunk casino in Baraboo.

"I like to have extra things like roulette and craps; I like the whole shebang," Crom said.

Crom said she's won a Hawaiian getaway and tons of money. But at the end of the month, Crom and many others won't be able win big on high-stake games like craps, roulette, poker or carnival games.

In fact, many of the casino's current employees could end up losing big.

"I have a few friends who were just trained for poker and now they're going to lose their jobs," said Crom. "They've been there for two weeks and now they're going to lose their jobs."

The Baraboo Candy Company sits across the street from Ho-Chunk. Storeowner Mike Ford said about 30 percent of his business is tied to the casino.

"It's unfortunate; I thought a lot of hard work and effort went into putting the compacts together," said Ford. "I thought it was a good opportunity for both the tribe and the state of Wisconsin. It's unfortunate it has come undone."

"I was just getting interested in the new games and now they're going away, but I'll still, I go there all the time," Crom said.

It's not yet clear whether the Ho-Chunk's move will cause other tribes to cancel poker and craps, too. It's also unknown whether Ho-Chunk is preparing to withhold its payment to the state.

The Ho-Chunk and four other tribes owe the state money by June 30. The Ho-Chunk's payment is $30 million. The Potowatomi in Milwaukee has already said it'll withhold its payment of $40.5 million and keep its games running. The Oneida will make its $20 million payment. But it's not clear what the other tribes with compacts will do.

Eleven Wisconsin tribes have compacts that went into effect at the beginning of the year. The combined payments would bring in $206 million to the state.




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