SHABBONA, Ill. (AP) — A federal agency is reviewing a proposal to put a Native American electronic bingo hall on the outskirts of a northern Illinois village.
The plan from the Kansas-based Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation would put a 24-hour bingo hall near the DeKalb County village of Shabbona. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is reviewing the proposal. It collected public comments on the casino’s environmental impact in January and February.
Department of Interior spokeswoman Nedra Darling says a preliminary report on that impact is expected in October.
The Chicago Tribune reports the plan has reignited emotions since public comments were gathered. Some see the plan as economic salvation, while others see it as ruining peaceful rural culture.