Nations, Inc. · Episode 9 of 10 · 19 min
The Empire Beyond the Casino: Tribal Business Conglomerates
The casino stereotype gives way to a tour of tribal conglomerates: the Chickasaw Nation's 60-plus businesses, Ho-Chunk Inc., the Mississippi Choctaw, the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock International, and San Manuel's Palms purchase in Las Vegas. Most of the people these enterprises employ are not Native.
Who's who
- Lance Morgan+1 more episodeFounding CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc.
Where it happens
- Chickasaw Nation, OklahomaChocolate, a bank, hospitals and federal contracting
- Winnebago Reservation, Nebraska+1 more episodeHo-Chunk Inc. and its WarHorse casino brand
- Las Vegas, NevadaSan Manuel bought the Palms, the first tribal-owned resort there
- Mississippi+4 more episodesHome of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Timeline
- 1994Ho-Chunk Inc. founded as the Winnebago Tribe's economic arm
- March 2007Seminole Tribe of Florida finalizes its $965 million purchase of Hard Rock International
- December 2021Nevada approves San Manuel's $650 million purchase of the Palms
- 2024Ho-Chunk Inc. marks its 30th anniversary with $441.8 million in revenue
Still debated
Chickasaw revenue figures date from a 2015 study and should not be read as current. Economic impact totals, which include multiplier effects, are a different measure from direct revenue.