Gun Lake Casino A Go

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After legal challenges failed to stop the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians’ plan to build a casino on its reservation in Wayland Township, Michigan, the tribe finally broke ground on the facility in mid-September.

The first phase of the Gun Lake Casino will be a somewhat scaled-down version of the tribe’s original plans for the property. The casino was designed to be a 192,000-square-foot property with 2,500 slot machines and 75 table games. However, due to concerns over the tight credit market and the faltering economy, the Gun Lake Casino will be less than half the size it was originally intended to be when it opens in approximately one year.

“Given the current economic conditions, it makes sense for us to build this project in phases,” tribal Chairman D.K. Sprague said in a news release. “This allows us to bring jobs to our area sooner, and we look forward to planning and developing the next phase as the economy recovers.”

The first phase of the project will be comprised of 1,200 slot machines and 36 table games in an 83,000-square-foot property. The tribe will create 750 jobs with the first phase, which is less than originally estimated.

Station Casinos will build and manage the property when it opens.