In the age of political divisiveness, both parties favor turning the former Great Lakes Downs racetrack in Fruitport, Michigan, into a casino. Democrats and Republicans on The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners support the idea.
The project, proposed by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, could create 1,500 construction jobs and 1,500 full-time jobs if both the casino and hotel complex in Fruitport Township gets built.
“This is going to revitalize that entire part of town,” said Muskegon County Board Chair Susie Hughes. “When it does that it revitalizes all of Muskegon.”
On November 10, the commission posted a resolution supporting the project, which will be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs after a public comment period through the end of November.
Republican State Representative Greg VanWoerkom told 13 ON YOUR SIDE he was watching the progress of the potential casino at the federal level. “As the next phase turns to the state level, I am ready to work with both the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and the Governor on an agreement that works for Muskegon County and the state of Michigan.”
Putting people to work in a county that has one of the highest unemployment rates right now in the state of Michigan also finds a welcome ear from Democratic State Rep. Terry Sabo.
Opposition could come from other Michigan tribes who also have casinos, and don’t support the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians building a second casino. The tribe’s existing Little River Casino Resort is about 95 miles north of the proposed site.
The complex would include approximately 69,000 square feet of gaming floor space, 1,700 slot machines, 35 table games, a 220-room hotel, event and meeting room space and dining and entertainment options.
In related Michigan news, online sport betting and iGaming is likely not going to happen in 2020.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board submitted proposed rules for both on October 6, but that offered little time to get online sports betting without the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules returning the rules early, according to Executive Director Richard Kalm.
“We’re counting session days and it doesn’t look like we’re going to get 15 if we just let this run out to the end of the year,” Kalm said. “So conceivably, it would have to roll over to the next session in January and we would start another 15-day clock.”
The committee has 15 legislative session days to act on the rules or return them to the board. There are ten potential days remaining on the calendar.
A delay until the next session in January puts wagering on NFL games at risk but also betting on the Super Bowl. If not enough session days are left in January, the issue shifts to February.
“Most all of the provisional licenses for platform providers we cannot issue for online gaming or online sports betting until the rules go into effect,” Kalm said. “So we’re gathering information trying to get ahead of it, but we can’t license.”
The regulator can at least license suppliers and vendors. There were 73 supplier applications for either sports betting or iGaming and 126 vendor applications.
PlayMichigan recently outlined 15 mobile sportsbooks that will eventually launch in the state.
