Officials of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa recently denied that the Grand Portage Lodge & Casino in Hovland, Minnesota will close. Tribal Chairwoman Beth Drost said, “Nothing could be further from the truth. It is unfortunate that someone is trying to disrupt our business and discredit our reputation.”
Drost said the rumor, which began on social media, was “malicious.” A statement on the casino’s Facebook page also said someone intentionally started the rumor.
“It hurts us, because that’s our reputation,” Drost said. “Hopefully whoever it was, was just misquoting what someone said. It will probably stop now, because this is the truth: We are here. We are open for business.” She added the casino has entertainment booked into next spring. “It has always been very profitable and it supports our community here,” she said.
The casino, which opened in 1986, recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion. Besides gaming, it has a 100-room hotel and employs 160 people. Most of its customers come from Thunder Bay. “We run a free shuttle business from Thunder Bay and so we are expecting people to come,” Drost said. The casino helps fund several nonprofits in Thunder Bay and partners with businesses there for printing, advertising and other services.
