Tribal officials say they’ll keep DeJope Bingo Hall open in Madison for at least another year despite slumping business. Tribal President Troy Swallow had said early in his tenure he would consider closing the operation altogether because business has been slow. The tribe also has studied other possible uses for DeJope, including an indoor water park, hotel, theater or convention center. Swallow, a systems programmer for Northern NEF, an American Indian-owned defense contractor in Oklahoma, was sworn in as tribal chairman in July. For now, the bingo hall will continue to operate under the tribe’s recently adopted budget for its gaming operations, officials said. Swallow would have to ask the tribal legislature to close DeJope. The bingo hall employs 66 people, a decrease from 81 workers when it opened in 1999. The nation also operates a casino, hotel and convention center near Wisconsin Dells and casinos in Black River Falls and Nekoosa.
