Romanelli later disclosed that the tribe was “already doing some preliminary work” but declined to elaborate, citing the sensitive nature of the tribe’s proposal. Things are still looking good, by all indications.” “Obviously, we would have liked to have avoided the extension, but that’s OK. Some “Preliminary Work” Being Doneĭespite the delay, Tribal Ogema Larry Romanelli told Michigan Gaming Review that the tribe “is actually in a good spot. The Democratic governor ultimately decided to wait until June 2022 to make her decision. But the statute also allowed either Whitmer or the tribe to request a 180-day extension. Under the statute, Whitmer had one year to decide whether or not to allow the casino to move forward.

One is through the issuance of a secretarial determination, but the governor of the state where the proposed gaming would take place must also agree with the DOI’s assessment that a casino would be in a tribe’s best interest and would not hurt the local community. The Trump DOI issued a secretarial determination because the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act ( IGRA) has prohibited most gaming activities acquired in trust by the federal government on behalf of a tribe since October 1988 - with a few exceptions. “We have completed our review of the Tribe’s application and determined that the proposed gaming establishment at the site would be in the best interest of the tribe and its members and would not be detrimental to the surrounding community,” wrote Tara Sweeney, then-Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs. In December 2020, during the closing months of the Trump administration, the US Department of the Interior ( DOI) issued a secretarial determination in support of the tribe’s casino plans. Lakeshore would also include a 220-room hotel and a multi-use facility. Approximately 1,700 slot machines and 35 table games would be included on the gaming floor. The tribe’s proposal includes building a 400,000 square-foot facility, of which 140,000 square feet would be used for a casino. The track closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2008, the same year the tribe took ownership. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians wants to build the Lakeshore Casino Resort on the site of the former Great Lakes Downs horse racetrack in Fruitport Township, which is in Muskegon County. Gretchen Whitmer, but disclosed that the Tribe was also still actively doing “preliminary work” of an undisclosed nature for the $180 million casino project. The leader of a tribe hoping to build a casino in western Michigan said the Tribe is “in a holding pattern” as they wait for approval from Gov.

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