Lac Vieux Band seeks off-reservation casino

Tuesday, January 8, 2008  

The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians is seeking an off-reservation casino in Muskegon, Michigan.

The tribe plans to spend $10 million to turn an existing building into a Class III casino with 1,500 slot machines and eight gaming tables. The tribe says it will generate $250 million in revenues annually and share $5 million a year with local governments.

The gaming site is more than 500 miles from the tribal headquarters in Watersmeet. The Bush administration last week adopted a new policy that virtually eliminates the possibility for casinos hundreds of miles from reservations.

The tribe previously submitted a land-into-trust application for an off-reservation casino in Iron Mountain, about 70 miles from Watersmeet. Last Friday, the tribe received a letter from the Bureau of Indian Affairs stating that the application was incomplete and would not be evaluated until more information is submitted.

Get the Story:
Obstacles piled high as tribes consider casino (The Muskegon Chronicle 1/8)
Muskegon casino plans aired (The Ludington Daily News 1/8)
Tribe would spend $10 million on casino project (The Muskegon Chronicle 1/7)
3rd group vies for Muskegon casino (WOODTV 1/7)
Indian tribe describes what a casino could mean for Muskegon (WZZM13 1/7)