Grand Traverse Band Sets New Casino Opening Date for Jan. 22

Written By Corey Sharp on January 14, 2025
a calendar with a coming soon circled in red on it

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) is scheduled to open a temporary location for its new casino next week. It will be the tribe’s third gambling facility in Michigan.

The GTB’s flagship property is Turtle Creek Casino & Lodge in Williamsburg, though the tribe’s first casino was Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge in Peshawbestown. It also owns the non-gaming Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. The new Benzonia location should help the further development of the tribe. Details on the long-term plans remains sparse, but the tribe has committed to next Wednesday, Jan. 22 as the opening date for the temporary casino.

There are other tribes in Michigan that are in legal battles to get new casinos built in the Great Lakes State. The GTB already has the land and is able to build a new property at its convenience.

New casino is temporary to gauge interest

According to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, the new establishment is set to be temporary. The idea is to open the casino to track the interest of potential plans to build a bigger one.

In a press release from last December announcing the property, the tribe did disclose that “further planning and development are ongoing.”

The new gaming facility will be located at 7282 Hoadley Road in Benzonia. It is a government building that the tribe owns. Johnny Barrientoz, Grand Traverse Resort and Casinos CEO, confirmed with Crain’s Grand Rapids Business about plans of a larger property:

“At some point down the road, once we get operations running and we can make plans to develop a new casino on that property somewhere, we will actually turn that original building back over to the government operations.”

The new facility is expected to offer slots and table games for customers. PlayMichigan reached out to tribe asking about the size of the facility opening next week. There was no response at the time of publication.

The GTB has a lot of history in Michigan, specifically with casinos. It’s one of the first tribes to open a gambling facility in the late 1980s.

The current government, along with the new structure, sits on land that was formerly placed in a trust prior to the tribe getting federal recognition in 1980.

GTB opening a new property doesn’t mean mean a new Michigan online casino is coming, as the tribe is already partnered with Caesars Palace Casino. However, it could mean that a new retail Caesars Sportsbook would open inside the new establishment.

Other tribes struggle to open new casinos

Building casinos is a way for tribes to continue to develop within the land it currently owns, in this case, specifically Michigan. However, not every tribe has the ability to do so.

Little River Band‘s effort of constructing a new property in Fruitport has come to an end after 14 years. The tribe being federally recognized with a retail casino already was not enough.

The Grand River Bands is currently fighting for federal recognition. Should it be, Grand River Bands would own land near where Little River Band wants the new casino. That is ultimately why Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rejected the Little River Band’s proposal for a new gaming establishment.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (SSM) is also struggling to get clearance for a new casino. SSM wants a new property near near Detroit, but was blocked by the Department of Interior (DOI). As a result, the tribe filed an appeal last month, hoping the United States Supreme Court would hear its case.

Everything has to fall into place for a tribe to able to build a new casino. The GTB seems to have everything in order, and is conducting a trial run first.

Photo by zimmytws/Shutterstock
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Written by
Corey Sharp

Corey Sharp joined Catena Media in 2022 and is the go-to expert for Michigan gambling. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, he previously worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer and NBC Sports Philadelphia as a sports journalist and content producer. In Corey’s role as Lead Writer for PlayMichigan, he works alongside a talented team of expert journalists and analysts to bring you the most comprehensive and accurate coverage of gambling news in Michigan. Corey’s contacts around the industry makes him a trusted source. Corey produces daily stories and features about the gambling space. Corey graduated from Holy Family University in Philadelphia with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.

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