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Sho-Ban Casino Update
There has been much talk and deliberation concerning the Shoshone Bannock Casino, an effort that has been in the works for nearly a decade, when the first parcel of land containing 57.24 acres was acquired just outside of Mountain Home in 2015. Two years later, the Fort Hall Business Council created a task force for the purpose of communication between local and Tribe officials.
The now 157 acres of land was purchased in early 2020 from two separate sellers. Since the purchase there have been multiple attempts for the Sho-Ban and the Sho-Pai to pursue the venture in unison, an ideal favored by Gov. Brad Little. There was never any progress made between the tribes for a joint endeavor due to the Sho-Pai’s belief that the Sho-Ban Tribes were over reaching on their territory. A past interview conducted by former Editor Sawyer Crenshaw back in September 2022, revealed that the Sho-Pai felt that they had a strong relationship with Mountain Home stating that 80-90% of tribal money was spent in Mountain Home. The interview that Crenshaw conducted had one council member saying, “they’ve got the heavy pockets, we’ve got the empty pockets” when asked about their own plans for a casino. The Sho-Pai Tribes never entered into a contract with the Sho-Ban because none of the proposals made would allow them to attain full ownership of a casino in Mountain Home,’ according to the article.
In January of 2023, an open house was held at the Elk’s Lodge in Mountain Home so the public could learn more and ask questions about the project from those directly involved.