At a recent lively meeting of the White Earth Nation, tribal members appeared to oppose the proposed Star Lake Casino to be built east of Dent, Minnesota, according to attendees. Members also criticized a lack of information. One participant said the anti-casino Star Lake group “has been good to us, but they have better information than tribal members. We ask for information from tribal government and we’re told ‘that’s confidential information.’ That’s B.S.”
Tribal Secretary-Treasurer Tara Mason said the tribal council so far has spent about $7 million on the proposed Star Lake Casino project, including land acquisition, buying wetland credits and architectural, planning and environmental fees.
Attendees also expressed concerns that the new, smaller casinos in Bagley and Star Lake would cannibalize revenue from the tribe’s primary Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen. Tribal Chairman Terry Tibbetts said one reason the Bagley casino opened was to create jobs for tribal members in the northern part of the reservation. “The Bagley casino has its limits, too. How much can a 179-machine facility pull in? We could have stuck a lot more money into the Shooting Star and upgraded it.”
Mason said the feasibility study from 2015 projected a 3.4 percent cannibalization rate from satellite casinos. She added the tribal council has made several improvements to the Shooting Star Casino and attached hotel and convention center.
Also, Mason noted, Shooting Star has had 1,700 new sign-ups, indicating it still is attracting people. Tibbetts noted these first-timers spend between $5 and $1,000; however, it’s difficult to determine the impact just from the number of sign-up. Attendees pointed out a large percentage of those new sign-ups could be one-time visitors.
Mason said feasibility study calls for additional improvements at the Shooting Star facility, including: upgrading the buffet restaurant and the pool area and possibly adding a bowling alley and small movie theater; moving bingo onto the gaming floor; and building an amphitheater to improve visibility during concerts. It also calls for “looking at a different structure for the hotel,” she said, since the current layout requires a long walk from the hotel to the casino floor.
In answer to an attendee’s question, Mason said the tribal council is following its gaming blueprint according to the feasibility study, which proposed the Star Lake Casino. “The 2015 feasibility study was the reason we thought this was a good idea,” she said.
The Star Lake casino and resort would be built on 15 acres of trust land plus 225 acres of “fee land” the tribe purchased for parking, utility operations, transportation access and other infrastructure. The project will feature a gaming floor with 850 slots, a 10,000 square foot conference center, 6,000 square foot indoor/outdoor pool and spa, restaurant and gift shop, bar and grill, entertainment lounge, 180-room hotel and an RV park.
The feasibility study also indicated the casino likely would attract additional development to the area and up to 500 new housing units over the next 25 years, representing a 42 percent increase over the existing housing stock, according to a study by Otter Tail County and the White Earth Nation.
