Chippewa Tribe's New Casino Will Offer 300 Jobs and 700 Slot Machines

On April 25, 2007, more than 300 new employment opportunities will be available in the Arenac County when the new casino is built and managed by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Nation. The tribe currently owns and manages the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant.

The building of the 32,000 sq ft casino is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007 at the Saginaw's Saganing Indian Reservation, which is located about 4 miles southeast of Standish.

The casino will feature around 700 slot machines, 40 electronic casino table games and a concession stand, according to a statement released by the Saginaw Tribe on their website. Tribal Chief, Fred Cantu Jr., commented that the tribe's casino plans have been several years in the making.

Cantu commented that the casino, which is an "all-purpose construction project" will boost the Michigan's economy and provide employment for both the members of the Saganing Tribe and the residents of the surrounding communities.

Standish Mayor, Kevin King, commented that he is hoping that the casino will have a good effect on the city. A gaming official said that the tribe does not need to ask the state's permission to construct a casino since the location is considered to be tribal trust land and the state of Michigan has a 1993 Gaming Compact with the Saginaw Indian Tribe.

As of the moment, there are about 20 casinos that are currently open in Michigan. Many of them can be found in the Upper Peninsula, while 3 of the casinos can be found in the city of Detroit.

Sunday, 13 May 2007
Darren G. Strachan