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By CHEZ OXENDINE and JOE BOOMGAARD

Gaming

1. Saganing Eagles Landing Casino Reopening
2. Saganing Eagles Landing Casino Reopening
3. Eagles Landing Casino Reopening Dates
4. Eagles Landing Casino Reopening 2020

UPDATE: After this report was published, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians opted to close its five Kewadin Casinos for three weeks. The story has been updated.

Most tribal gaming operations in Michigan will remain open with some modifications even as the state imposes a new round of restrictions on commercial casinos and other sectors in a move aimed at curbing spiking cases of COVID-19.

On Sunday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Department of Health and Human Services announced that all three commercial casino operations in Detroit will close as of Wednesday, along with in-person dining at bars and restaurants, movie theaters, indoor ice rinks and bowling alleys.

As sovereign enterprises, the 24 tribally owned casinos that operate in Michigan do not have to comply with the mandated closures. While all tribal casinos in Michigan voluntarily closed in the spring at the same time the state issued a stay-at-home order, most are planning to stay open this time around, citing enhanced protocols and their track record for safety.

Among the exceptions: Bay Mills Resort & Casinos in Brimley, Mich., which plans to close for three weeks at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

1. A look inside Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant on Thursday, May 28, 2020. They have been closed since March 16, 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak an.
2. The BlueWater Resort & Casino, which closed temporarily on March 20, has announced they will not reopen as planned on April 13 and will be closed indefinitely. The Colorado River Indian Reservation is under a 'stay at home' order that mandates all non-essential businesses be closed.

“This pandemic is unpredictable,” Bay Mills Indian Community Chairman Bryan Newland said in a statement. “Fortunately, we budgeted CARES Act funds in anticipation another shutdown might occur. We believe in protecting our community and our employees.”

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As of midday Wednesday, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians also opted to voluntarily close its five Kewadin Casinos in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with an expected reopening date of Dec. 9.

However, most other tribal gaming operations say they believe their precautions make it safe to remain open during the current spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

“We are confident that the recent significant increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases is not being influenced by FireKeepers’ operations because of the mitigation steps we have taken and which we continue to rigorously enforce,” Kathy George, CEO of Battle Creek, Mich.-based FireKeepers Casino Hotel, said in a statement provided to Tribal Business News.

FireKeepers, which is owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, will remain open under its “strict protocols,” and will continue to “vigilantly review these protocols in cooperation with health officials and the Tribe’s Gaming Regulators to determine if additional controls or actions are needed to support the effort to slow down the spread of this virus,” George said.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s gaming facilities also will remain open, while the tribe plans to redouble “successful” safety measures already in place.

“We do not believe that closing the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Saganing Eagles Landing Casino & Hotel and The Slot Palace & Bingo Hall will reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. Should new information emerge that indicates otherwise, we will revisit this decision,” the tribe said in a statement.

The Pokagon Band of Potawtomi’s Four Winds Casinos in Southwest Michigan will also remain open under various safety guidelines.

“Like other governments we are continually monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and have taken extensive health and safety precautions to help protect our Tribal Citizens, our employees that work in our Tribal Government, as well as our Four Winds Casinos employees, and guests that visit our four casino locations in Michigan and Indiana,” according to a statement from the Pokagon Gaming Authority, which added that it “will continue to be diligent with the current safety and sanitation procedures as the health and safety of our employees and guests remains our top priority.”

The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians’ Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet and the Grand Traverse Bay Bands of Ottawa Indians’ two operations — Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel in Williamsburg and Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge in Peshawbestown — did not indicate any plans to close on their respective websites.

The closures of the commercial casinos come amid growing concern from state officials and health systems across the state that the escalating caseload could soon overrun the capacity for hospitals. As of Nov. 15, the statewide positivity rate for COVID-19 reached an average of 12.5 percent, Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said in a press conference, noting the virus was “spreading like wildfire.” Health experts say the test positivity rate should be around 3 percent to manage the spread of the virus, regional business publication MiBizreported. As of Tuesday, the state reported a total of 272,034 positive cases of COVID-19 and 8,128 deaths.

As cases continued to rise, some tribes opted to take certain actions to help to limit possible exposure.

For example, the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi (Gun Lake Tribe) has reduced hours of operation at Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, Mich., located about 25 miles south of Grand Rapids, the state’s second-largest city where cases have been surging beyond levels experienced in the initial spring wave of the virus.

Instead of being open 24 hours a day, Gun Lake Casino will now close between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. As part of its “Play It Safe” initiative that takes effect on Nov. 20 and runs until Dec. 9, Gun Lake Casino also placed plexiglass barriers between slot machines or spaced them out to maintain distance between patrons and closed all bars and restaurants. Additionally, the casino closed its retail sportsbook counter and most table games, except for the High Limit Room, which will have limited occupancy.

“Gun Lake Casino is a critical business to the Gun Lake Tribe and to the local communities that we serve,” said Alexis Bolo, the operation’s community and public relations coordinator. “We are proud to provide financial stability and healthcare benefits for over 900 Team Members, which will continue during this time.”

At the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, near the Lake Michigan shoreline, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians reduced hours of operation to 8 a.m.-10 p.m., effective Nov. 17 until “at least” Dec. 8. Little River also closed all table games, turned off every other slot machine where distancing was not possible and closed its retail sportsbook, although on-site sports betting will be available.

Little River Casino, along with Gun Lake Casino, also widely banned smoking in most indoor areas.

Larry Romanelli, ogema of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, said tribal officials carefully considered its options this week, all while the effects of the spring closure continue to weigh heavily on the tribe.

“As you know, business is tough and LRBOI wants to assist the Governor and also help keep citizens safe but we are also up against decreased revenues from closing before,” Romanelli said in an email to Tribal Business News.

According to previous estimates from MiBiz, Michigan tribes are believed to have lost more than $200 million during six to eight weeks of closures beginning in March 2020. Gaming revenue generally accounts for a significant portion of tribes’ operating budgets, which fund various services, ranging from health care and education to public safety and housing.

Elsewhere in Michigan, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community closed table games at its Ojibwa Casinos in Marquette and Baraga and the Hannahville Indian Community canceled all bands and entertainment through Dec. 10 and switched restaurants to take-out at its Island Resort & Casino in the Upper Peninsula town of Harris. Likewise, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians canceled entertainment and closed its sports bar at Petoskey-based Odawa Casino.

A common theme in all the tribal casinos’ plans is a commitment to following best practices and guidance aimed at keeping people safe. To some tribal leaders, the only safe option is shutting down.

In a statement to Tribal Business News, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Chairperson Aaron Payment said he supports “shutting down all non essential operations in collaboration with the Governor’s order to stave off the spread of this deadly virus during an exponential outbreak.”

“If we save just one life, especially an Elder, it will be worth it,” Payment said.

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Tribal Business News Publisher Levi Rickert contributed to this report.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated with comment from the Pokagon Gaming Authority and to note that after this report was published, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa opted to close it five Kewadin Casinos.

There was more than a week to spare before March Madness when three retailsportsbooks in Detroit opened.

Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribalcasinos were going to miss the basketball action anyway. Some casinos planned late spring or summer launches for their in-house sportsbooks, even building in some cushion to ensure a piece of the fall football pie.

Well, you know the rest of the story. The COVID-19 pandemic not only triggered the cancellation of the NCAATournament, but much of sports betting life was put on hold.

After one long false start for Michigan sports betting, many of the region’s casinos will now be put to the test.

Soaring Eagle sportsbook yet to take off

The state’s largest tribal casino, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, had an aggressive late-spring timeline for its retail sportsbook. However, Mike Bean, the CEO of Saginaw Chippewa Gaming Enterprises, said there will be late summer or early fall launch.

Sportsbook plans at Soaring Eagle still include the Ascend sports bar and a handful of betting kiosks throughout the venue.

“The COVID-19 situation slowed things substantially,” said Bean in an email to PlayMichigan. Bean manages Soaring Eagle and Saganing Eagles Landing Casino & Hotel in Standish.

Both facilities only reopened on Monday. Bean said the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is still not ready to announce its sports betting and an online casino partner.

Meanwhile, mobile sports betting and online casinos are expected to launch later this year or early next year, as the Michigan Gaming Control Board and MI Legislature crawl through the rule-making process.

DraftKings, Bay Mills pact could break news lull

DraftKings Sports Bettingannounced its entry into the Michigan market on Thursday morning, with its Bay Mills Indian Community partnership.

The deal will bring one of the nation’s largest mobile sports betting apps to the Great Lakes State and a retail sportsbook at Bay Mills Casino & Resort in Brimley, a small town in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The Bay Mills tribe also operates nearby Kings Club Casino.

Odawa Casinos achieves Victories

Ron Olson, the general manager of Odawa Casinos, had hoped that sports betting would be live at the casino’s Petoskey and Mackinaw City locations by now.

However, Olson will have to settle for remodels – and no bets yet – at the new Victories Sports & Entertainment Complex in Petoskey.

Olson said the casino submitted a letter to the National Indian Gaming Commission for approval to start retail sports betting. He hopes it will go live in August.

The Odawa operators, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, have partnered with USBookmaking for the retail sports betting operation. The Las Vegas family business operates sportsbooks at three tribal casinos. One in New Mexico and the other sportsbooks are in the works for Colorado and Iowa.

Odawa is partners with The Stars Group for its online sports betting and iGaming operations.

When will other tribal casinos launch retail sportsbooks?

Here is the rundown of what we know about other tribal casinos and their sportsbooks in Michigan.

Saganing Eagles Landing Casino Reopening

Lower Peninsula sportsbooks

Saganing Eagles Landing Casino Reopening

• FireKeepers Casino, Battle Creek: The casino reopened on June 1. The launch date for the retail Dacey’s Sportsbook is delayed. Scientific Games will operate the book.
• Four Winds Casinos: A reopening date of June 15 is set. Nothing has been announced about partnerships or launch dates for retail sportsbooks at the chain’s three Michigan locations in Dowagiac, Hartford, and NewBuffalo. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians operates the casinos.
• Gun Lake Casino, Wayland: The casino reopened on Monday. Stage 131 Sportsbook & Lounge will be the initial host of a retail sportsbook, which will be operated by Parx, a Greenwood Racing casino north of Philadelphia. There isn’t a launch date, but will take a “phased approach.”
• Leelanau Sands Casino, Peshawbestown: The casino reopened on May 29. A satellite location for William Hill Sportsbook at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel is planned at nearby Leelanau Sands, but it’s unclear what impact the COVID-19 closure has on the timeline.
• Little River Casino, Manistee: The casino reopened on May 29. No timetable or partnership has been announced for Little River, which has publicized its River Rock Sportsbook & Grille. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians operates the casino.
• Turtle Creek Casino, Williamsburg: The casino reopened on May 29. The UK sports betting giant previously announced a launch this year for the William Hill Sportsbook at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, but it’s unclear what impact the COVID-19 closure had on the launch. The sportsbook will be at the Onyx Sports Bar.

Upper Peninsula sportsbooks

• Island Resort & Casino, Harris: The casino reopened on May 16. The Hannahville Indian Community has not announced partnership or a timeline for the retail sportsbook launch.
• Kewadin Casinos: The five locations will reopen on June 12. There’s no launch estimate for five planned retail sportsbooks in Christmas, Hessel, Manistique, Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace casinos. GAN is the technology partner.
• Northern Waters Casino Resort, Watersmeet: The casino reopened on May 22. PointsBet of Australia has a pact with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the company’s first tribal market access deal. There isn’t an announced timetable yet for the retail sportsbook launch.
• Ojibwa Casinos: The Keewenaw Bay Indian Community has announced no timetable for partnership. No reopening date yet for either Baraga or Marquette locations.

When will Detroit sportsbooks reopen?

Eagles Landing Casino Reopening Dates

Detroit’s three casinos await the go-ahead from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to partially reopen. She announced on Monday that the state’s bars and restaurants could open to 50% capacity on June 8.

However, commercial casinos are not a part of this phase. The governor said she hopes to move to the next reopening stage before July 4.

Greektown Casino-Hotel, MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino have been closed since March 16.

Eagles Landing Casino Reopening 2020

The Penn National Gaming property of Greektown has a temporary sportsbook and will launch a Barstool Sportsbook in the middle of the casino floor. MGM rebrandedMoneyline Sports Lounge as BetMGM Sports Lounge at launch, and MotorCity opened FanDuel Sportsbook in Michigan with Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders on March 12.