Casino Entertainment Project News

Project Partners

Community Partners Profiles

GLT Commitment to the Community

The Truth About Gaming

Vendor Opportunities

Employment Opportunities

---

Date: December 6, 2002

Fact Sheet - Gun Lake Compact - Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of the Pottawatomi Indians

There are 12 federally-recognized tribes in the State of Michigan. The Gun Lake Tribe is the ONLY federally-recognized tribe in the state of Michigan, which does not have a compact for class III gaming. The Gun Lake Tribe was officially recognized in 1999.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act enacted by Congress in 1988 specifically states that Indian tribes have the exclusive right to gaming activity on federally-recognized Indian lands if the gaming activity is not specifically prohibited by federal law or state law. Michigan currently has 18 operating casinos including three, which were voted on by the voters of the state.

The State of Michigan entered into gaming compacts with 11 of the 12 federally-recognized tribes. Compacts typically outline the gaming operation, such as the kind of games offered, the size of the facility, betting limits, regulation (including Alcohol and Tobacco), state and local revenue sharing, security, etc. These compacts received ratification by the Michigan legislature by resolution. This process was recently upheld by the Michigan Court of Appeals on November 12, 2002.

The state's current unwillingness to negotiate in good faith with the Gun Lake Tribe is in violation of Federal Law, discriminatory, and not consistent with already established state policy. It further puts the state of Michigan at risk of losing millions of revenue sharing dollars generated from activities on sovereign lands.

The Gun Lake Tribe will voluntarily enter into a compact with the State of Michigan containing terms consistent with the previous 11. This includes two percent revenue sharing with the local communities (estimated $2 million annually) and eight percent revenue sharing (estimated $8 million annually) to the State of Michigan School Aid Fund. They are also willing to allow for additional language governing the sale and distribution of tobacco, which is not in the previous 11 compacts!

Failing to negotiate and ratify a gaming compact with the Gun Lake Tribe will negate Michigan's ability to exercise control over products and activities conducted on tribal territories once tribal lands are taken into trust. The Gun Lake Tribe is proceeding through this federal trusting process diligently. Upon completion, Class II gaming can begin immediately without any state intervention or regulatory authority as tribal lands are considered sovereign.

There are 2,914,575 annual customers expected to come to the Gun Lake casino from Michigan and neighboring states. It is expected that this casino would provide 1,554 jobs in the casino and 2,747 jobs outside the casino. It is estimated that there will be $31,240,767 spent off-site annually in the Allegan area (food, beverage, lodging and retail)

The Gun Lake Tribe has selected a specific site for their casino in Wayland Township (Between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo). The proposed resolution and submitted compact notes the specific location of the proposed casino and restricts the tribe to one facility within their five county federally-recognized service area (Allegan, Barry, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa).

The Gun Lake Casino has strong local support starting originally with the 6,000 member grassroots organization, Friends of Gun Lake Indians (FOGLI) and the Gun Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Allegan, the Kalamazoo Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the Plainwell Chamber of Commerce, the Wayland Chamber of Commerce, Dorr Business Association, Michigan Building and Trades Council, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers, the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, Michigan Distributors and Vendors, the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Michigan, the Allegan Area Chamber of Commerce, the Allegan Board of Commissioners (six of nine members), the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce and the Wayland Township Board.

Attribution: Mr. D. K. Sprague, Tribal Chairman, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe.