“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. We will ensure that our gamers are offered games of the highest integrity and bring the best value to their gaming and entertainment experience.The Institute for Nonprofit News, Indian Country Today, Wisconsin Watch and eight other news partners examined the state of the economy in Indian Country. Our guests will be treated with the newest gaming products while still being offered the most popular games from year to year. We will treat all who enter our doors with dignity and respect. We will do our very best to offer our guests a place of fun, excitement and a place to escape or socialize. This will require that HCG-Black River Falls & Tomah have an atmosphere that fosters a consistently high level of customer service and where ambassadors are focused on meeting the needs of their customers both internal and external. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK : 8AM – 2AM MISSION STATEMENTĪs Executive Manager of HCG-Black River Falls & Tomah, it is my mission to provide Leadership that will develop HCG-Black River Falls & Tomah into the region’s premier gaming and entertainment center.

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