Gov. Scott Walker rejects Menominee Nation's request to build casino in Kenosha

Gov. Scott Walker has denied the Menominee Nation's request for permission to build an off-reservation casino in Kenosha.

Walker's administration announced the decision in a press release Friday.

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin has been pushing for a casino in Kenosha for years, hoping the facility will lure gamblers from Milwaukee and Chicago and help pull the northeastern Wisconsin tribe out of poverty.

The Forest County Potawatomi has been fiercely opposed to the project, fearing it would siphon profits from their Milwaukee casino. The Potawatomi contend their gambling compact with Wisconsin requires the state to refund hundreds of millions of dollars in back payments that Walker approved for the casino. The Menominee pledged to make up any revenue that the state might lose.