Sho-Ban Tribes reaffirm commitment to new casino & resort after Sho-Pai casino announced near Boise
New Sho-Ban Tribes casino & resort rendering planned in Mountain Home. (Submitted graphic)
FORT HALL — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reaffirmed their commitment to developing a world class resort and entertainment venue in Mountain Home after the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes announced their intent to build a casino closer to Boise April 16.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes purchased 157 acres of land adjacent to Mountain Home in 2020. They plan a 250-room hotel, an event center, multiple dining options, an amphitheater, bowling alley, a movie theatre, an arcade and cultural center.
Fort Hall Business Council Chairman Lee Juan Tendoy said the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes remain dedicated to creating a vibrant destination that honors, “our history while building opportunities for future generations. This project will have a lasting and positive impact for our people and for the broader community.”
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes have engaged in extensive planning and taken deliberate steps to move the project forward, including outreach to local communities, coordination with government partners, and a commitment to following all regulatory and approval processes.
In comparison, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes said in a press release they are in the process of developing their first resort and casino along Interstate 84 halfway between Boise and Mountain Home. They are in a partnership with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe of northern Idaho. The release said the proposed resort and casino would mark a historic step in reconnecting their tribe to their ancestral homelands between Boise and Mountain Home – a sacred region that holds deep cultural and spiritual significance.
They are proposing a luxury hotel, gaming floor with the latest tribal gaming machines, spa and fitness center, fine dining restaurants, food hall with multiple vendors, an event and entertainment center.
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is honored to share their experience and resources with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes to ensure the project is done the right way and benefits their tribal members and Idahoans alike the press release said. They say it will generate tens of millions of dollars for Idaho’s economy annually. It would dedicate five percent of net gaming revenues for local schools and education programs.
Chairman Tendoy said in previous years the FHBC extended an invitation to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes to partner on the Mountain Home project offering shared ownership and benefits but that offer was respectfully declined.
“We recognize that each Tribe must determine its own path to economic development,” said Chairman Tendoy. “For us, this project is about more than business, it’s about reclaiming a presence in our ancestral lands and creating opportunities for our citizens and our neighbors.”
With determination and a clear plan, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are confident the Mountain Home Economic Development Project will catalyze positive change – economically, culturally and socially for decades to come, the press release said.
