Four Winds Expanding And Wants Approval To Offer Sports Betting in Indiana

The Four Winds Casino in South Bend, Indiana, owned by the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Native Americans, is undergoing expansion. The enlargement will feature a new hotel and enhanced gaming options for patrons.

The new 23-story casino hotel has big plans.

Inside Indiana Business received a comment from Matt Wesaw, the tribal council chair and president of the Pokagon Gaming Authority, on the addition.

“When we first sent our land and trust application to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, it was mandatory to provide a comprehensive blueprint. This detailed the potential size of the operation we envisioned.”

The new addition does not yet include table games and sports betting.

Applying for a sports betting license in Indiana

At present, Four Winds possesses a Class II license, permitting them to operate slot machines and a poker room.

Four Winds is already running a poker room and features a gaming floor with more than 14,000 slot machines.

Regrettably, a Class II license does not permit table games or sports betting. This is a significant factor to consider, especially as Indiana is currently swept up in the excitement of sports betting.

However, with a Class III license, the Indiana casino will be permitted to broaden its gaming selection to incorporate popular table games such as:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette

However, crucially, it will enable the Indiana casino to take sports bets and even inaugurate an online sportsbook in Indiana.

Wesaw emphasized the importance of providing a comprehensive gaming experience.

Since Four Winds South Bend was inaugurated in January 2018, the reaction from the community and its performance has been extremely satisfactory to us. The proposed expansion will realize a range of thrilling features and facilities that we had initially conceptualized during our planning process.

Game day is the central focus in South Bend, the city that hosts the University of Notre Dame, renowned for its legendary football team.

With home games attracting over 77,000 fans to Notre Dame Stadium to cheer for the Fighting Irish, sports betting could be a significant source of revenue.

Guarantee for a Class III gambling license is not assured.

The Tribe must overcome several bureaucratic challenges to obtain a Class III license.

The tribe is required to negotiate an agreement with the governor’s office for running a Class III gaming operation and then wait for the governor’s approval. Following this, as per Indiana’s laws, any agreement, amendment, or modification that the state engages in must be ratified by the Indiana General Assembly.

Sara Gonso Tait, the Executive Director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, stated that the tribe formally requested to initiate negotiations with the Governor's Office on August 13, 2019.

The state has consented to the Pokagon request, with Gov. Eric Holcomb appointing Gonso Tait to head the negotiation team.

Assuming successful negotiation and approval, the window for ratification of the agreement is limited. The legislative session of the Indiana General Assembly's 2020 session needs to be completed by March 15.

Anyway, how important is location?

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, which is based in Dowagiac, Michigan, owns the Four Winds Casino that is located in South Bend, Indiana.

Wesaw believes that the change in location will bring a new experience to Indiana’s regulatory process.

“Under the current Indiana law, we aim to negotiate an agreement, which we hope the governor will agree to. After this, it needs to go through a legislative approval process.”

In November 2016, the Pokagon Band successfully negotiated the application for the 166-acre Four Winds site in South Bend with the US Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The construction of the 175,000 square-foot casino started in Dec. 2016, just a month later. The official opening occurred two years afterwards in Jan. 2018.

The casino features a slot machine area of 140,000 square feet, along with:

• Three bars
• Four restaurants
• Retail space

The Four Winds Casino is the only gaming venue in Indiana that is owned by Native Americans.

Four Winds constructing a destination experience

Construction on the new addition, which started in mid-September, is expected to be completed in two years.

The new facility will include not only the hotel, but also:

• Rooftop pool
• Ballroom
• Convention center
• Spa

And hopefully, a sportsbook.

Wesaw views the partnership with Indiana Tribes as an economic victory for all parties involved.

This expansion not only represents a significant milestone for all Pokagon citizens, but it also showcases our economic dedication to supporting the South Bend community.

The Four Winds is anticipated to boost Indiana’s job market by creating over 400 construction jobs and adding 100 permanent positions for staffing the addition.

The Pokagon tribe was acknowledged as a sovereign Native American nation only recently. Their sovereignty was recognized 25 years ago with a measure signed by President Bill Clinton.

In addition to operating a Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan, the Pokagon Gaming Authority also runs three more Four Winds Casinos in Hartford and Dowagiac, Michigan.