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Station Casinos
Station Casinos and The Gun Lake Tribe of Pottawatomi Indians broke ground Thursday on the $157 million Gun Lake Casino in Bradley, Mich. From left to right: Tribal Council Vice Chairman Ed Pigeon, Tribal Chairman D.K. Sprague, Station Casinos Chief Development Officer Scott Nielson, CEO of MBPI Development John Shagonaby, and tribal council members Phyllis Davis and Coleen Nessner.
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 | 4:59 p.m.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Thursday on the American Indian casino in Michigan that will be managed by Station Casinos.
The Las Vegas-based casino company and The Gun Lake Tribe of Pottawatomi Indians broke ground on the $157 million Gun Lake Casino on the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians’ reservation in Bradley, Mich., after years of lawsuits and delays.
The first phase of the project will include an 83,000-square-foot facility, about one-half the size of the original plan.
Construction is expected to last 10 months to a year, instead of the 16 to 18 months the initial plan would have taken. The first phase will include 1,200 slots, 36 table games, a 300-seat restaurant, food court, casino bar and entertainment lounge.
“Given the current economic conditions, it makes sense for us to build this project in phases,” Gun Lake Tribal Chairman D.K. Sprague said in a statement earlier this month. “This will allow us to bring jobs to our area sooner, and we look forward to planning and developing the next phase as the economy recovers.”
The Gun Lake tribe estimates the new casino will bring 60,000 guests to area hotels each year. The Gun Lake Casino plans don’t call for a hotel.
The new casino will bring 600 casino jobs, as well as 750 jobs during the construction period, the tribe said.
In January, the U.S. Department of Interior assigned 147 acres in Allegan County, Mich., as reservation land for the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians.
The Gun Lake Casino will be operated by the tribe’s management partner, MPM Enterprises, LLC, which is owned by a subsidiary of Station Casinos and private investors in Michigan. Station Casinos currently manages Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, Calif., which is owned by the United Auburn Indian Community.
Every casino that opens in places like this means fewer visitors to Las Vegas, and they all run with no union help.
From today's (9/18/09) unemployment numbers (Source: AP Article)
"Michigan saw 42,900 jobs disappear, including 25,000 in manufacturing, as the state continued to suffer along with its struggling auto industry.
Michigan's unemployment rate rose to 15.2 percent, the highest in the nation. When its jobless rate topped 15 percent in June it was the first time any state surpassed that mark since 1984.
Most economists project Michigan's jobless rate will continue to rise. The University of Michigan estimates it will average 15.8 percent in 2010.
Nevada has the second-highest rate at 13.2 percent, followed by Rhode Island at 12.8 percent and California and Oregon at 12.2 percent each."
Building this casino in Michigan makes as much sense as building another casino on the Strip....
Good Luck.
Diversify So. Nevada's economy!!
I still have no idea where this all will lead to. Casinos may win money, but they're not generating anything. Even if people go and work for the casinos and may be happy having a job, it still means that somebody is losing his money to the casino. Some taxes and expenses and payroll being paid, and still , the money the casinos win is leaving the "surface" and disappears somewhere. If a state has 15 per cent unemployment, it should take care of the economy rather than building new entertainment complexes.
Sure enough, more casinos statewide means less people flying into Vegas.
There's another reason why there are less people coming to Vegas: The airlines keep cutting down their service quality, raising fees on luggage (ridiculous!!!!) and very soon people will have to pay a fee if they wish to put down their tray table in front of them and go to the restroom inflight. This all is nice to generate extra profits but will eventually keep people from flying. I hate flying and from Switzerland it's more or less 18 hours to get to Vegas, altogether. In other words: I used to come 2x/year to Vegas, unloading each time about 5000 usd during my trip. Since 2009 I have reduced this to 1 trip /year, but it's not even sure that I will take the hassle to goto Vegas in 2010. Asian casino markets are growing fast, and service quality of Macao is super. Vegas, watch out before you lose more frequent visitors....
From Switzerland
INDIAN CASINOS ARE HURTING LAS VEGAS BECAUSE THEY GIVE BETTER COMPS. WITH THE BAD ECONOMY OUR CASINOS IN WISCONSIN ARE CROWDED WITH RETIRED PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE CASH. WHY FLY TO VEGAS WHEN A BETTER DEAL IS IN OUR BACK YARD.
WE USED TO FLY TO VEGAS WHEN THE COMPS WERE GOOD. AT LEAST TWO TIMES A YEAR. FOR $118.00 WE WOULD GET ALL OUR MEALS. NOW WE GAMBLE IN WI.,MI., AND MN. WE GET ALL OURS MEALS PLUS CASH [PROMO CASH]. IT COSTS US $10.00 FOR A DAY TRIP BUS THAT PUTS ON 300 MILES. WHAT A DEAL, PLUS $45.00 IN PROMO CASH. WHY GO TO VEGAS!!!!!!
You have got to be kidding - run by stations casinos - they cant even run what they have???
Vegas is offering alot of comps - I am going in October and I was offered about 6 places to stay with great comps - Plaza - free rooms - free food and $300 free plan - Sahara - 2 free nights - 2 for 1 ticket to rick thomas - $10 free play for 3 days and free buffet coupons - PLaza also free slot tournment - Statosphere - 2 free nights and free food - Palace - 3 free nights - $50 food voucher - $50 free play - and others.. While I am there - staying at 2 places and my parents are also staying at 2 places..
Indian Casinos - they can regulate their slots to what ever they want - give back 40% or even less - no state commission ever walking around - went to Florida casino a few months ago - on the reservation - hardly anyone there and the houses inside the reservation were all closed up - no indians living in them - guess they were not getting the free money for living there - they left!!! I would stay away from those casinos - vegas, Mississippi and NJ are probably the best to try your luck at....
The biggest casino in the US, Foxwoods in Connecticut, is in deep trouble due to the declining economy and their profligate spending. Indian members with 100% Pequot heritage are being given 120G a year! But now they may be defaulting on their bonds, and they have said "Screw you to the banks, we're a sovereign nation, and we'll pay our people regardless." Could get interesting, as the banks are reviewing whether lending money to Indian casinos is too risky. Plus with $200 a night rooms, and no free drinks, some people on the East Coast are finding that it's cheaper to fly to Vegas for $250 or so, and stay at comped rooms which they received in the mail. So Vegas ain't quite dead yet.
I say build more Indian Casinos. People get a taste of Vegas, then they come to Vegas. Especially when they find out that Nevada is the only one with Sportsbooks.
Somebody ought to tell the Gun Lake Tribe of Pottawatomi Indians that Station Casinos recently declared bankruptcy. Is that REALLY who you want managing your casino?
I'm surprised that the writer didn't mention that. Oh, that's right, the Greenspuns are partners with Station Casinos in several ventures. I'm surprised the writer didn't mention THAT (not really).
For those that are kicking at Station casinos you need to study up a bit.
ALL of Stations properties are making money. That is not the problem, they run a good ship.
Problem is they took on a ton of dept when they went private, they paid a high price for the stock to take the company private and now they are not making enough to cover that debt.
The Hotels and casinos they own make a profit as do the other Indian casinos they run.
Many home owners took on to much debt, Stations did the same thing but they have not lost their ability to run a good casino.
With casino gambling now on virtually every streetcorner in the world, Vegas needs to offer more! Legalize, regulate and tax such things as prostitution and drug use and watch Vegas explode with visitor numbers and revenue!
"You have got to be kidding - run by stations casinos - they cant even run what they have???"
MY FEELINGS EXACTLY! Why would you want a company in bankruptcy running anything?
Oh...never mind, it's in Detroit. That's why!
IT COST AT LEAST $1000 TO GET TO VEGAS BY PLANE. WE CAN USE THAT TO GAMBLE. MY WIFE WON 6 TIMES IN A ROW AT INDIAN CASINOS. WE WON 1 TIME IN 20 TRIPS TO VEGAS. THE INDIAN CASINOS HAVE IT 20-1.
I just got back from Vegas. Go to Vegas for the shows, the lovely hotels, the spa services, the golf courses...but don't go for the gambling. Stay out of the casinos. I used to read the comments in this very paper about how tight the machines are. As they say in No Country for Old Men, "That don't hardly get it!" Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while but I must have been blind, deaf and dumb because a big jackpot eluded me for my entire stay.
While I enjoy a trip to Vegas as much as the next person, the reality is that the cost is too much to visit more than once or twice a year.
Although Michigan may have a dismal economy, one would never guess this if you were to step foot into one of our many new or old casinos. Each one is packed with people willing to spend their hard earned money close to home and in return boosting our economy right here in Michigan -- bottom line is that during these hard times the new casinos are just about the only places bringing new jobs to Michigan -- jobs we need.
Stay local, spend local.
With the morality cops currently running amok here in Vegas there is less and less reason for tourists to visit. Adults spending $$ want adult entertainment.
Curious - Did Harrahs miss this one?
SO now Stations is going out of state to build on the reservation.WOW Did they forget about the Castaways empty eyesore? Oh I am so sorry they dont drive by our neighborhood.
your bufett's in Vegas are to expensive. You stress shows and family way to much. The common gambler is your bread and butter, but you people don't get it. Your stock may be going up, but your business is going down. More Chapter 11's.
These Native American Casinos are not what they appear to be. Are they paying state and federal taxes on profits? Many charge the 7% sales tax on the customer but they call it an on-site use fee for the reservation and keep the money for themselves. There are(low paying) jobs, tighter slots than at any Vegas run casino, bogus jackpots along with other giveaways that don't happen, crappy food, worthless cocktails that you pay for, perpetual shuffling machines everywhere, children left in cars and zero growth in the communities where they set-up their operation. Not to mention the crime, addictions, gambled away homes and ruined lives. Those organizations are only interested in the prosperity of their members and screw the community. Sin works in Vegas and Atlantic City but it does not work in small town America.