Officials at Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, Michigan have announced that work is under way on a $100 million expansion to be completed in summer 2021.
The expansion will offer additional casino area and dining and entertainment options. Gun Lake Casino President and Chief Executive Officer Sal Semola said, “We have undergone a careful and detailed process to understand how to best serve the needs of our current guests, and enhanced dining, entertainment and gaming amenities are a high priority. The great new amenities will provide new experiences for our guests as part of our continued effort to make Gun Lake Casino the premier entertainment destination in western Michigan.”
The expansion will add 72,000 square feet to the 156,000-square-foot venue to accommodate 450 new slot machines, 12 more table games and a larger non-smoking area. Semola said. The project also will add two new upscale restaurants and double the size of the State 131 entertainment area to add more seating, an outdoor patio and new dining service.
Built in 2011, Gun Lake Casino currently features more than 2,000 slot machines, 47 game tables, a high-limit room, 300-seat buffet, 225-seat café plus lounges and bars. The casino employs 1,100 people, and 125 jobs will be created with the expansion.
Tribal Chairman Bob Peters said, “We are proud of the effort of our team members that has driven the continued success of Gun Lake Casino and our tribe’s contributions to Michigan’s economy in the last eight years. These expansion plans allow us to build on these efforts and provide even more employment opportunities and increased economic impact in our local communities.”
In July, Gun Lake Casino became the first tribal casino to launch a social gambling and sports betting app in the state–CASINO4FUN—in partnership with Rush Street Interactive. Users can bet on real sports matches without betting real money. Rush Street Interactive President Richard Schwarz said, “As states move forward in legalizing sports betting and online gaming, our CASINO4FUN product provides our brick-and-mortar casino partners with the marketing opportunity to both increase the engagement levels of current casino customers and convert the play-for-fun social players into play-for-real money patrons should online gaming become legalized in their state”
The Michigan House Ways and Means Committee is considering HB 4916 that would legalize online sports betting and online casinos. The also would allow the state’s tribal casinos and three Detroit casinos to open retail sportsbooks.
