Little River Band casino project halted in Muskegon County
Sources say the project is ‘at a dead end.’
Key Points
- The Tribe has spent $30m during the last 14 years developing the casino
- The proposed $180m casino resort is the Tribe’s second gaming facility
A Muskegon County casino resort project could be at an end, according to a Midland Daily News local report.
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has invested $30m during the past 14 years into the Michigan property. The proposed $180m casino resort was planned near the intersection of I-96 and US 31 on 60 acres of land.
The site is the former location of the Great Lakes Downs racetrack.
Ogema Larry Romanelli told the Daily News that the project “may be reaching an end.”
He commented, “I just got word — we were trying to do the Muskegon casino project and it looks like we’re at the end of our line.
“I got word from the attorneys that we’re working with and they said, ‘Well, Larry, it looks like it’s pretty much dead.’ I said, ‘Are you kidding me?'”
According to the local report, issues of “the intersection of tribal sovereignty, federal recognition processes and state approvals for off-reservation gaming” resulted in a halt on the project.
This would have been the Tribe’s second gaming facility. The Tribe runs the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee.
In other Tribal news, several California Tribes recently filed a lawsuit to ban private casino “banked” games.
Tribal nations involved in the suit include the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Barona Band of Mission Indians, Pechanga Band of Indians, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.
According to court documents, the Tribes allege that private casinos throughout the state have “brazenly profited from illegal gambling” and are in violation of the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act.
California’s Tribes claim they were given exclusive rights to host these table games by voters.
The complaint said, “Under Tribal-state compacts, California Indian Tribes have bargained with the State (and pay) for a gaming system that facilitates their exclusive right to offer such banked games within California. But for years, California card rooms and their partner third-party proposition players have ignored the law and refused to recognize Tribes’ exclusive rights.”
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