A public hearing, related to the casino project proposed by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, is scheduled to take place on Thursday (October 8). It is to be held at the Mackinaw City Public School and it is expected to cast light on the outcome of the proposal for a tribal casino venue to be established in the area.
The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians plans to build a casino of Class II or Class III. The future casino is to be established at the site where the Thunder Falls Water Park previously was.
The construction of the casino faculty is scheduled to commence sometime in 2016 and the expectations are an expansion to take place in the next few years. If everything goes according to the initial plan, the venue should feature more than 200 machines by 2020 as well as an adjacent RV park.
Only Class III casinos are allowed on the territory of Michigan and if the future casino adheres to the rules, the Village of Mackinaw City will be eligible for receiving 2% of the gross gaming profits. However, the city will not receive any benefits if the casino is categorised in Class II.
In order to establish a Class III gaming faculty, the tribe will have to obtain the necessary approvals from the Michigan authorities. In case the tribe is given the green light to the construction of a Class III casino site, it will be allowed to offer table games including the popular blackjack, roulette, craps, etc.
Apart from the purely entertaining aspect, the casino is expected to bring economy benefits as almost 100 permanent staff positions will be available. The expected annual revenue for Mackinaw City is $250,000.
In point of fact, the tribe is not new to the casino industry and it has announced its intentions for the construction of the Mackinaw City casino a long time ago. The site where the casino is to be established was purchased in 2012 but according to the chairperson of the tribe, timing was never right until now and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has ambitious plans for the future casino venue and those that have already been established.
The five-year plan for development also includes a 130-room hotel to be added to the Petoskey-based property, run by the tribe. However, the development plan might be subject to changes. It depends on the market conditions. At first, the Mackinaw City casino is expected to feature slot machines only and once it becomes an appealing gambling spot, the development plan can be put into action.
