MACKINAW CITY, MI — A northern Michigan tribe is planning to break ground on a bingo hall casino this fall despite a rejection vote by the local village council, according to 9&10 News.
The Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians says it will build a Class II casino in Mackinaw City after the village council voted 4-3 on Oct. 16 not to approve a Class III facility with table games like craps, blackjack and roulette.
Village approval is needed for Class III gaming. Class II facilities are limited to games like bingo, pull tabs and non-banked card games between players. Typical slot machines are not allowed.
The vote last week is the second such rejection in more than a decade by the Mackinaw City Village Council, which shot down a tribal application in 2003 to build a casino north of the new site, which the tribe bought in 2012.
In June, the tribe started moving money around to jump start construction of the casino as part of a 5-year economic development plan that also includes a new 130-room hotel at the tribe's existing Odawa Casino in Petoskey.
In Mackinaw City, the tribe will build on the former Thunder Falls Water Park site at 1028 Nicolet St., which is located next to tribal trust lands on the south side of town. The park closed in October 2012 after eight years.
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the tribe can operate a second casino in Emmet County under a renegotiated gaming compact.
The tribe is not required to share gaming revenues with a Class II facility. Had a Class III facility been approved, 2 percent of slot revenues would have gone to local governments and 6 percent to the state in lieu of normal property taxes.
Odawa Casino general manager Eric McLester did not return messages Thursday.
Tribal plans include an RV park at the bingo hall site.
Garret Ellison covers business, environment & the Great Lakes for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or follow on Twitter & Instagram
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