Some 500 local residents on March 30 turned out to discuss a proposed tribal gaming casino in Star Lake, Minnesota.
Held at the Dent Community Center, casino plans call for 750 slot machines, up to a dozen table games, a buffet, 10,000-square-foot convention center, 6,000-square-foot pool and spa, a CyberQuest kids area, a restaurant, gift shop, bar, café, and an entertainment lounge.
The White Earth Nation plans a three-story casino resort, but with a “northwoods feel,” rather than a Las Vegas-style gaming resort, Shooting Star Casino General Manager Bill Marsh told the audience.
Marsh said the casino won’t use garish lights and present an eyesore, but instead would build a relatively small, community-friendly resort that will be a true asset for the local economy.
Casino access would be off County Road 41, and improved electrical services to the site would benefit local residential and commercial customers, too, Marsh said.
The White Earth Nation wants to build the project on 14.5 acres of land it has in federal trust on Star Lake, where the tribe owns a total of 270 acres of adjacent land. It wants to open the casino next year.
The tribe already operates the Shooting Star casino in Mahnomen and it is building another gaming facility near the communities of Ebro and Bagley. Both of those gaming facilities are located on the tribe’s primary reservation.
The proposed Star Lake casino, though, would be located nearly 40 miles south of the White Earth Nation’s reservation. The project is still in its design phase, and the tribe wants to work with local units and community groups to ensure the best outcome for all stakeholders.
