Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Potawatomi’s promises? Don’t bet on them.

It looks like the Potawatomi will do everything they can to hurt Kenosha – even if they have to break a promise to the people of Wisconsin to do so.

The news today is that the Potawatomi are negotiating with out-of-state race tracks to offer off-track betting at their off-reservation Milwaukee casino. That’s right, the Potawatomi are squeezing their monopoly on gaming in southeastern Wisconsin even tighter.

Just a few years ago, the Potawatomi assured State officials that they would refrain from offering off-track betting as long as Dairyland was in business. Now, the tribe is going back on its word – apparently buoyed by the false sense of entitlement that having a monopoly creates.

Dairyland Greyhound Park is now rising to the challenge by developing a few options such as including a possible entertainment center as the best option for Kenosha and Wisconsin to compete with the Potawatomi. Certainly the best option for Dairyland is the proposed Menominee Indian Tribe entertainment center and casino. This would create 3,000 jobs and numerous economic benefits for southeastern Wisconsin.

Potawatomi’s off-track betting plans are just another tactic to strong-hold the regional gaming market and preserve their monopoly in southeastern Wisconsin. The Potawatomi have gone back on their word to the State, and will do whatever it takes to maintain their gaming monopoly – even if it hurts Kenosha and the state of Wisconsin.

Help put an end to Potawatomi's Southeast Wisconsin monopoly by signing the online petition.

No comments: