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Michigan’s Gun Lake Casino Announces $100 Million Expansion Project

  • 72,000-square-foot expansion adds room for more games, entertainment, dining
  • JCJ Architecture behind the project's design, set to be completed in summer 2021
  • Gun Lake Casino will hire 125 more employees for expanded facility
Dan Katz

Dan Katz graduated with a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Emory University. He clearly uses neither of those degrees now, having been writing about the gambling industry (specializing in poker) since 2005. Prior to that, he was an IT and management consultant. He is an avid gamer, primarily on PC, and enjoys collecting retro video games and consoles; finding room to set them all up is his current challenge. Dan lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children. You can get in touch with Dan at [email protected].

architects at work with plans and level tool on office desk
The Gun Lake Casino has announced a $100 million expansion project, set to be completed in summer 2021. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

New space to open summer 2021

Michigan’s Gun Lake Tribe announced a $100 million expansion project for its Gun Lake Casino on Wednesday. Initial site work is already under way, with the new extension scheduled to open in the summer of 2021. The tribe also shared the news on the casino’s official Twitter account.

Located just east of U.S. Highway 131, Gun Lake is one of 25 casinos in Michigan, the majority of which are operated by Native American tribes.

Addition of 72,000 square feet

In the announcement, Gun Lake Casino president and CEO Sal Semola said the expansion follows “a careful and detailed process to understand how to best serve the needs of our current guests”. He added,

enhanced dining, entertainment, and gaming amenities are a high priority.”

The new site will be built on the south end of the casino toward 129th Avenue and provide room for 450 more slot machines, a dozen new table games, and a larger non-smoking area. Stage 131, the casino’s entertainment facility, will see its space double to add more seating, a new dining service, and an outdoor patio. The expansion project will also give Gun Lake Casino two new “upscale” restaurants.

All told, the project will add on 72,000 square feet to Gun Lake Casino, which is equivalent to nearly half of the casino’s current 156,000 square feet.

Project architects have casino experience

Gun Lake Casino has hired JCJ Architecture to design the project. Headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, JCJ has worked on Resorts World Catskills Casino, the Choctaw Casino & Resort expansion, Foxwoods Resort Casino, and Hawaiian Gardens Casino, among others.

JCJ has a history with Native American tribes. In addition to casino projects, the company has also built schools, museums, and government buildings for tribes across the United States.

Rapid growth in less than a decade

Gun Lake Casino is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe. It is built on part of 147 acres given to the tribe by the federal government. Construction began in 2009 and the casino opened in 2011.

the casino currently employs 1,100 people and plans to hire 125 more

Even in the short time that Gun Lake Casino has been open, there have been multiple expansions. The casino currently employs 1,100 people and plans to hire 125 more as a result of the expansion. Tribal chairman Bob Peters has said the new project will “provide even more employment opportunities and increased economic impact in our local communities.”

The casino’s gambling offerings include table games, slot machines, and a 14-table poker room.

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