Tribal Casino News - 2003
November 25, 2003
A settlement was
announced among the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior,
Greektown Casino and MotorCity Casino, which if accepted by U.S.
District Court Judge Robert Holmes Bell, will end the six-year
lawsuit against the two Detroit casino operators.
November 14, 2003
Las Vegas gaming
giant Station Casinos and the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of
Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe) announced that a management
agreement has been reached between the parties. The agreement
relates to a proposed 192,000 square foot, Class III casino set to
be built on a 145-acre site in Wayland, Michigan, which is
approximately 25 miles north of Kalamazoo and 20 miles south of
Grand Rapids. The Gun Lake Tribe has almost finished the federal
approval process for placing this proposed casino site into trust,
however, it still needs to enter a Class III Tribal Gaming Compact
with the state of Michigan.
October 14, 2003
Muskegon City
Commissioners approved a resolution supporting casino gambling for
their city. Passage of this resolution follows the September 9,
2003, advisory election in which Muskegon citizens approved a
non-binding ballot issue in support of a casino.
September 10, 2003
Muskegon residents
went to the polls to approve a non-binding advisory vote for a
proposed casino in downtown Muskegon. The Muskegon Chronicle
reported that the Yes Muskegon pro-casino campaign won 12 of 13 city
precincts with 3,323 voters supporting the proposed casino and 2,845
opposing it. Gongwer News Services reported that the next step
toward the casino proposal is for the Muskegon City Council to pass
a resolution asking Governor Granholm to negotiate a compact with a
tribe to allow property acquisition for the casino site.
September 10, 2003
Full House Resorts,
Inc. and RAM Entertainment, LLC, reported that together they have
purchased approximately 80 acres of land in Emmett Township,
Michigan. The land, at the intersection of I-94 and 11 Mile Road
just outside Battle Creek, was purchased for $3,858,830 and is
intended as a casino site for the Nottawaseppi Band of Huron
Potawatomi Indians. The Nottawaseppi Band entered into a Class II
gaming compact with the state of Michigan in 1998. Gaming
Entertainment (Michigan) LLC, a subsidiary of Full House, will own
the land until it is transferred to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to
be held in trust for the Tribe as part of its reservation.
June 13, 2003
Jeff Livingston, top
gaming and economic development executive for the Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, has resigned. The resignation,
which becomes effective July 15, comes less than three months after
the Band purchased one of the largest Midwest resorts, Grand
Traverse Resort and Spa. Mr. Livingston, 43, serves as the chief
executive officer of the Band’s Economic Development Corporation and
its Traverse Bay Entertainment casino business.
May 22, 2003
The Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, which purchased the 238-room
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa on March 30, 2003, plans to begin
guest room and public area renovations in the near future. The Band
is also looking to possibly bring Class III gambling to the resort.
May 1, 2003
The Michigan House of
Representatives passed a legislative proposal that seeks to assess
Michigan's state income tax on winnings from out-of-state gamblers.
The bill, which passed though the House on a 97-8 vote, would apply
to the Detroit casinos and the state's Indian casinos, as well as
horse tracks. If approved by the state Senate and signed into law by
Governor Jennifer Granholm, out-of-state casino and horse track
winners would be required to file state of Michigan income taxes on
their gaming winnings.
March 5, 2003
The Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians announced reaching an agreement
for the Tribe's purchase of the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa from
KSL Recreation, Inc. The 950-acre resort is located on M-72 near
U.S. 31 in Acme, Michigan. No announcement concerning the Tribe's
specific plans for the facility have been released. Jeff Livingston,
chief executive of Traverse Bay Entertainment, the economic
development arm of the Grand Traverse Band, was recently quoted in
the Detroit Free Press as saying, "It [casino gaming] is an option
that we’ll explore. We’ll work with Acme Township, the region and
the state to make sure it fits everybody’s economic needs."
February 17, 2003
The Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians' Tribal Council has approved 53
grants to area schools, governments and other organizations totaling
$1,088,905. The grants are part of the Tribe's annual revenue
sharing pay out of its yearly gaming revenue at the Leelanau Sands
and Turtle Creek casino.
January 1, 2003
An agreement to
settle a land dispute between the state of Michigan and the Sault
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians may allow the Tribe to open two
additional casinos in Michigan. The Tribe currently owns 90 percent
of the Greektown Casino and operates five tribal casinos in
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Areas outlined for a potential tribal
casino as a result of the land settlement agreement are Romulus,
Monroe County and Flint. The settlement agreement must now be
reviewed by the U.S. Congress.
