Gun Lake Tribe surpasses $100 million mark in gaming revenues shared in Michigan

Monday, December 11, 2017

Ed Pigeon, vice chairman of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, right presents a $2.1 million check to Wayland Township supervisor Roger VanVolkinburg, on November 30, 2017, representing the tribe's fall 2017 revenue sharing payment to local governments. Another $4.7 million was shared with the state of Michigan while another $1.4 million went to an economic development corporation created by the tribe and the state. Photo courtesy Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe, surpassed a major gaming milestone in Michigan.

The tribe shared $8.2 million in revenues with state and local governments last month. The fall payment, which is based on electronic gaming revenues at the Gun Lake Casino from April 1 to September 30, brings the total amount shared since 2011 to $101.6 million.

“This is a very special distribution because of the significant increase in revenues due to the expansion, and because we have surpassed the $100 million milestone,” Chairman Scott Sprague said in a press release. “The tribe’s reinvestment of $76 million into the casino expansion has paid off for tribal citizens, our team members and the community.”

The $8.2 million figure made waves in other respects. It represents a whopping 24 percent increase from the tribe's spring payment and 19 percent more than the fall payment last year.

The tribe attributed the increase to the expansion of the casino. The gaming floor grew by 73,000 square-foot expansion, allowing the tribe to increase the number of electronic gaming machines by 30 percent.

The November 30 announcement came just three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a long-running case affecting the tribe. The outcome in Patchak v. Zinke will determine whether Congress can protect the casino from litigation.

Read More on the Story:
Tribe makes $8.2M revenue-sharing payment (The Grand Rapids Business Journal December 11, 2017)
Gun Lake Tribe passes $100 million mark in revenue-sharing (MLive December 4, 2017)
Gun Lake Casino revenue sharing payment presented to local agencies (WWMT December 4, 2017) $P U.S. Supreme Court Documents:
Oral Argument Transcript | Docket Sheet No. 16-498 | Questions Presented

D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Decision:
Patchak v. Jewell (July 15, 2016)

U.S. Supreme Court Decision:
Patchak v. Jewell (June 18, 2012)

Prior D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Decision:
Patchak v. Salazar (January 21, 2011)