On Thursday Aug. 2, the Four Winds Indiana Casino will open in New Buffalo, MI. Web site at Four Winds.com for general overall info. Billed as the second largest casino floor in VEGAS, outside Vegas, it boasts 130,000 sq ft of gambling space with 3,000 slots(even pennies), 100 gaming tables and a World Poker Tour Poker Room. It has six restaurants, a 165 room and suite hotel and a 2,200 space parking garage, all within two minutes of a great beach on lake Michigan. "W" Card holders, read players club or whatever will receive 25 per cent cash back on their slot play, initially, added to their Club card for future pay. Slots have three levels of MUST WINS. On specified machines. $100,000----$10,000 and $500. A number of STANDARD opening promotions such as winning a Cadilac, etc. NOW: It is exactly 10 miles from Boyd's Blue Chip in Michigan City, IN. It has taken 13 years for the Pokagon Band of the Potowatomi Indians, after lobbying for federal recognition, to get approval and construct the Casino. Michigan and Indiana Congressional Representatives who helped the tribe gain status were dismayed when the tribe revealed plans for a casino after gaining national recognition. BUT, not as dismayed as BOYD's. Kevin Flynn of Chicago put up the Blue Chip and later sold to Boyd's. He stayed on as an executive and consultant until word of the Indians acoming came. He then resigned his position with Boyd's and became an outside consultant and a lobbyist with a citizens group, Taxpayers of Michigan Against Casinos-TOMAC, with one interesting caveat. Flynn was promised $5 Mil. by Boyd's, Yep. I didn't stutter Lois, $5 Mil, if he could help delay the construction and opening of the FOUR WINDS for 5 years. Through many land, and other legal battles along with TOMAC, Flynn was successful and yep he advantaged $5 mil on top of whatever Boyd's paid him for the property in the first place. Exit Flynn. Enter Lakes Entertainment of Minnetonka MN(or something like that, maybe the Assassin can confirm the the proper spelling.)So what about Lakes Entertainment? Well Lakes Entertainment (add the com and get to their site) is the Gaming Holding company of Les Berman, founder of Wilson's Leather, original owner and builder of the Stratosphere and who just happens to hold management, operational and hefty fee income for running and operating over 80 per cent of all the Indian Casinos in the US. Incidentally, he and Lakes came in, albeit probably lurking in the wings, when Harrah ha has, originally interested in investing in the Four Winds, backed out when all the delays occurrred. Lakes put up 400 of the 430 Mill for land purchases and casino construction. Lakes will receive repayment of that investment in total with interest and in addition with it's 5-year contract(probably extended for life) will receive a share of the casino revenue. But, of course. And the INDIANS. Well under a 1977 agreement with the State of Michigan, the STATE will get 8 per cent and county and local governments 2 percent of the FOUR WINDS "net wins" from SLOTS. A figure bandied about(and I don't know if it's an industry standard or not) is that 78 percent of the Casino's revenue comes from slots. That leaves duh 22 per cent of revenue from other games for the management group and pay back, unencumbered by pacification of government units. Both Slots and VP are tied into network Progressives with other Casinos in Lakes' Group. Soo 8 per cent of the 78 percent revenues from SLOTS immediately go to pacifing the governments, the remaining 70 per cent and other 22 per cent to be split by the fur and horse traders. There is talk among the tribal members of eventual revenue sharing for the tribes 3,200 members once all debt and management costs are covered. Anyone want to lay odds on when that will be? An interesting side note: Boyd's fighting and knowing for 13 years that the eventuality was coming consitantly, steadily and continually, offered poorer and poorer slot and VP payouts and adapted all the restrictive table game rules, while constructing a larger boat(whole nother story about boats and bargers and the distinction and costs in the state of Indiana) newer and growing parking garage, larger more equiste hotel, finer and finer restaruants, a seperate Venue facility and all the other artificial amenities while driving away even casual SLOT players who complained. "I can't win there anymore." So, if there will be a competitive edge for players at either location remains to be seen. AND for this site, so far, no word of BJ tournaments. But as another interesting note: Follow me please: Four Winds, New Buffalo, MI, on lake Michigan, with a beach two to five minutes away. Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City, IN. Ten miles West of Four Winds. Magestic Star(Say Fitzgeralds's, let me hear you say yeah) and TRUMP, across from each other on Bluffington Bay another 35 miles West and then Harraha ha has' BINIONS another 5 to 10 miles West in East Chicago, all Boats, one would expect a competitive line up. Especially as stacked up against the restrictive Illinois casino compacts, affecting hours of operation, admission and percentage to the state of Illinois at the Joliet, Il and Aurora, IL locations, which are more difficult for Chicago players to get to, than the Indiana locations, (yes depending on where you live, toolman.) We will see how this all plays out. I'm planning an on site observational review this Saturday of the Four Winds. Initially, according to their web site, one may win a seat to the WPT finals in daily qualifiers for as little as $50. So, some enterprising promoter may jingle their bells for some BJ Tourney action, that might just jump start BJ tourney action all along the Southern Bend of Lake Michigan. We'll see. And if you read this far without falling asleep I thank you for indulging me.. Good Fortune to you.
Nice writeup, noman. Now we know what you've been up to while waiting for BJTs near you - reading and devouring every bit of information on the New Buffalo casino . And thanks for writing in English as opposed to er, whatever. Anyway, very informative. Hope they do have BJTs. The area is definitely lacking as far as BJTs go. One correction point in your writeup. You said: "Magestic Star(Say Fitzgeralds's, let me hear you say yeah) and TRUMP, across from each other on Bluffington Bay". Trump sold out to Majestic Star a while back. The 2 boats now belong to Majestic Star. Trump's name does not exist there anymore. Keep us informed about any developments and let us know what the place is like after your "inspection".
toolman Yep. right after I posted I read your "lack of tournaments" post and realized I'd made a mistake. really didn't know the donald sold out. But, since Indiana only allows a gaming corp tohave two entities in the state Resorts can't develop down on the "hill billy side."
Just so there is no misunderstanding, Majestic Star, not Resorts, bought out Trump. However, Resorts has also been sold - Ameristar is the lucky purchaser but that won't be finalized until about the end of the year.
New Buffalo,MI Your writeup. You said" 25% cash back on slot play"or should it have said (point .25%) I might be headed for New Buffalo in the morning """
chash11, I didn't say anything about slot play or any games for that matter. I think you have me confused with noman so you may want to direct your question to him.
I apologize Toolman..your right I'm wrong ..the cash back percentage should have been directed to NORMAN
Toolman covers the West: Thanks for the updates and clarifications on the Boats/barges: And for the 25% clarification. It was from the Web site: For the first week upon signing up for their W card, the casino covered up to 25% of your first week slot play to be added onto your W card(at a future time) Devil in the details upon reading sign up rules, etc. Unforseen circumstances have prevented a personal observation as yet. From some pass along hear say, may not be much good, or different to pass on. Hear 6-5 BJ. Can't conceive how, but Automated Poker (Holdem) Shuffling. No Dealers. Still $50 statelites to WPT main events and supposedly a stop on the tour. Keep keepin me honest toolman.
