The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, owners of the Four Winds Casinos in Southwest Michigan and South Bend, are reportedly creating a separate, new investment entity to further develop commercial gaming opportunities domestically and abroad.
The band’s Tribal Council recently approved the move, as first reported Thursday by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
The idea is to utilize the expertise developed by the tribally-owned Four Winds casinos to drive commercial, non-tribal gaming activities not connected to the Four Winds operations.
Commercial, privately-owned casinos are becoming more common in several states, and Four Winds apparently sees an opportunity to grow beyond its existing four casinos in New Buffalo, South Bend, Dowagiac, and Hartford.
In Michigan, commercial gaming operations have only been permitted in downtown Detroit, with the MGM Grand, Motor City, and Greektown Hollywood casinos. All other casinos in the state are owned by various Native American tribal organizations, similar to the Pokagon Band.
Four Winds/Pokagon leaders told Crain’s they see the creation of Four Winds Ventures, LLC as a natural extension of their success in gaming since the opening of Four Winds New Buffalo in 2007, as well as their more recent success in non-gaming investments under the Mno-Bmadsen entity, which has acquired construction and business service operations.
In an interview with Crain’s, Four Winds Chief Operating Officer Mary Smith said their interest in outside private business investments begins with the gaming and hospitality industries, but does not end there. In the future, they will be interested in business investment, ownership, or management in various industries.
Smith and four other Four Winds executives have been named to the operating board of Four Winds Ventures. She told Crain’s they are looking to add at least a couple of additional board members with appropriate experience.
Four Winds Ventures would not be limited to investments in Michigan and Indiana, or even in the United States. There are several examples of similar tribal-owned enterprises investing in other nations, including the Connecticut based Mohegan Tribe building a casino resort in South Korea.
No timetable has been outlined for Four Winds Ventures development.
Four Winds Casinos COO Mary Smith
This story was first reported by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
