Tribe’s Contributions to Area Communities Improving Quality of Life

(Bradley, Mich.) – Today, the Gun Lake Tribe (Tribe) announced details of its spring revenue sharing payments.  The State of Michigan received $4,268,003, and the local revenue sharing board received $2,134,001.  GLIMI, an economic development entity, received $1,280,401.  The figures are calculated from electronic gaming revenues reported from October 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018.    

“We are proud to continue offering great benefits to the local community in the form of jobs and revenue sharing payments,” said Scott Sprague, Chairman of the Gun Lake Tribe.  “These economic impacts are growing through employee wages, vendor spending and state and local revenue sharing payments.”

The Tribe reinvested $76 million into an expansion of Gun Lake Casino that opened on May 3, 2017.  The benefits were immediate to the surrounding community with dozens of new construction jobs, and over 100 new permanent employment positions offered.  The expanded gaming area enabled revenue to grow by nearly twenty-five percent.  

The Tribe’s revenue sharing payments are based on a percentage of gross revenue; not on much smaller profit figures.  This results in much larger payments to units of government than corporate tax payments.  The Tribe’s business operations are also not dependent upon tax abatements as a means to justify reinvestment.  Nor will the Tribe’s operations ever relocate overseas or to other states with lower business taxes. 

As the tribal government and casino operations have grown, so too has the workforce.  The Tribe is now the fourth-largest employer in Allegan County, at 1,300 positions.  These jobs offer very competitive wage and benefit packages. 

The Tribe’s state revenue sharing payments are dependent on the continued preservation of exclusive gaming rights within its competitive market area, as defined by the tribal-state gaming compact, which also includes statewide expansion of certain lottery games.  The market area includes the cities of Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Lansing, as well as the entire counties of Kent, Kalamazoo and Ingham, among others.

The Tribe has now shared more than $75 million with the State of Michigan, which directs the payments to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.  The MEDC in turn awards grants to businesses to invest in Michigan and create jobs.  One such project is the recently announced plans for an Amazon warehouse near Grand Rapids that will seek to fill 1,000 jobs.  The MEDC has offered Amazon $4 million to locate to Grand Rapids.    

The Local Revenue Sharing Board receives and administers the semi-annual payments.  The gaming compact prescribes mandatory funding to local municipalities for: costs incurred due to the operation of the casino; public safety services; and replacement of tax revenue.  The Board established by-laws to govern the distribution process.  The local payments are made under terms of the gaming compact independent of gaming exclusivity.      

Gun Lake Casino opened in February 2011 and now employs over 1,000 team members.  The Gun Lake Tribe has now shared $109,319,081 with state and local governments over Fifteen (15) distributions.

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About Gun Lake Tribe

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe) has a rich history in West Michigan and a close connection to the land.  The Bradley Indian Mission, located near Wayland, is the historic residential and cultural center point of the tribal community.  The Tribe’s ancestors, and political predecessors, signed treaties with the United States government dating back to 1795.  The Tribe was re-affirmed to federal recognition in 1999.  For more information about the Tribe visit https://gunlaketribe-nsn.gov/.

About Gun Lake Casino

Gun Lake Casino is located off Exit 61 on U.S. 131, halfway between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.  The casino features over 2,000 slot machines, 47 table games, a high-limit room, a 225-seat café, and a 300-seat buffet, along with bars, lounges, and live entertainment. 

Gun Lake Casino is owned and operated by the Gun Lake Tribe.  For more information, visit www.gunlakecasino.com.