White Earth Nation plans hotel and RV park at third casino site

Friday, October 9, 2015

A view of Star Lake in Minnesota. Photo from Star Lake Property Owner's Association

The White Earth Nation plans to build its third gaming facility in Star Lake, a small community in Minnesota located outside of the boundaries of the main reservation.

The tribe already owns 14.5 acres of trust land at the lake, according to Otter Tail County. The tribe has since purchased adjoining properties and now owns a total of 270 acres there, a county official said.

"The proposed development includes approximately 270 acres and 5,500 feet of frontage on Star Lake," Nick Leonard, the county's director of economic development and tourism, told the board of commissioners on October 6, Forum News Service reported.

The casino will feature a gaming floor with 750 slot machines and 10 to 12 table games. Plans also call for a 110-room hotel and an RV park. Construction is slated to begin next year and an opening is anticipated in 2017.

The tribe operates one Shooting Star location in Mahnomen and is building a second one near the communities of Bagley and Ebro. Both sites are located on the main reservation

Star Lake is about 39 miles from the southern border of the reservation. The tribe maintains a cultural connection to the area, which has been used for traditional ricing activities.

The land was placed in trust prior to 1988 but an exact date hasn't been reported in the Minnesota media. The Class III gaming compact authorizes gaming at any site on the reservation as well as additional "Indian lands" under the tribe's jurisdiction.

The Star Lake site presumably falls under the definition of "Indian lands" in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Get the Story:
Leonard discusses details of Star Lake Casino (Forum News Service 10/9)