Four Winds Casino New Buffalo
Four Winds Casino New Buffalo is a tribal casino and hotel located in New Buffalo, a Lake Michigan beach town about an hour from Chicago.
It is the largest of the Four Winds properties in the state, all of which are owned and operated by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, a federally recognized tribe. The tribe’s other sites include one in Hartford, MI, and another in Dowagiac, MI, and it also owns and operates a Four Winds site in South Bend, IN.
Four Winds New Buffalo features 125,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 1,900 slot machines and 40 table games. Unlike some tribe-run gaming establishments across the state that allow younger patrons, the Four Winds gaming area is only for players aged 21 and up. There is also a 415-room hotel on the property, featuring several restaurants, entertainment bars, retail shops, and a pool.
The tribe also offers a retail sportsbook at the New Buffalo location, and has betting kiosks at its two other Four Winds properties in MI. The Pokagon Band is additionally licensed to provide iCasino and online sports wagering in the state under the Four Winds brand.
While not as large as the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant (the state’s largest tribe-run site), the Four Winds Casino New Buffalo is still a relatively large property that competes well with the commercial Michigan retail casinos in Detroit.
Four Winds locations – snapshot comparison
Four Winds Casino New Buffalo is one of three Four Winds properties in Michigan and the nearest to the eastern Lake Michigan shoreline. Both the Hartford and Dowagiac locations are in the same general region, though a bit inland. Below is a snapshot comparison of the three MI venues, with the New Buffalo site by far the largest.
| Four Winds Casino New Buffalo | Four Winds Casino Hartford | Four Winds Casino Dowagiac | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 11111 Wilson Road, New Buffalo, MI, 49117 | 68600 Red Arrow Highway, Hartford, MI, 49057 | 58700 M-51 South, Dowagiac, MI, 49047 |
| Hours of operation | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Games | 1,900+ slots, 40 table games | 430+ slots, 7 table games | 320+ slots, 7 table games |
| Sportsbook? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Poker? | No | No | No |
| Minimum age | 21 | 21 | 21 |
Four Winds Casino online gambling partnerships
Four Winds and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians inked a deal with Kambi and White Hat Gaming to operate their online products. Those in Michigan can play games on Four Winds’ iCasino platform and also wager on sports online via the same site and app.
Games at Four Winds New Buffalo
The 125,000-square-foot gaming floor at Four Winds New Buffalo is open 24 hours. It features more than 1,900 slots, 40 table games, and a sportsbook.
Slots
The slot selection at Four Winds New Buffalo includes penny slots all the way up to slot machines that can be played for $100 a spin. There are progressive slots as well, with jackpots starting at $100,000. Other progressives have even higher starting jackpots, including:
- Buffalo Grand, Mega Grand Link, and Dollar Storm with jackpots starting at $500,000
- Wheel of Fortune Triple Stars Gold Spin Deluxe with a jackpot starting at $300,000
Table games
Four Winds New Buffalo also has 40 table games, including:
- 6 to 5 Single Deck Blackjack
- Blackjack
- Blackjack with 21 + 3 & Top 3
- Blackjack with Lucky Lucky
- Blackjack with New Side Bets
- Craps, Bonus Craps, and No Way Craps
- Criss Cross Poker
- Four Card Frenzy
- Heads-Up Hold’Em
- High Card Flush
- Louisiana Stud
- Mini and Midi Baccarat with Dragon Bonus & 5 Treasures
- Roulette
- Three Card Prime
- Pai Gow Plus
Plus, there is a progressive Bonus Spin Xtreme with select blackjack and poker variations, baccarat, roulette, and craps games. There is no live poker room at Four Winds New Buffalo. Nor is there one at either of the other Four Winds properties.
For big spenders, there is a High Limit Area located off the main floor with a private cash cage, over 80 high-limit slots, and blackjack and baccarat games featuring higher-than-usual limits. Players also get to enjoy exclusive hors d’oeurves and an Asian noodle buffet from Friday through Sunday.
W♣ Players Club loyalty card
Four Winds New Buffalo runs a variety of promotions, including Senior Day on Wednesdays, when seniors get 25% off at Timbers Fast Food & Deli and the Four Winds Casino Buffet. Meanwhile, the Four Winds W♣ Players Club is also available to everyone. Four Winds W♣ members earn points, perks, and rewards for playing with the card. The W♣ Players’ Club card can be used at all Four Winds Casinos locations. Enrollment is free.
Earn a point for every $2 of coin-in on a slot machine and $7 of coin-in on a video poker machine. Every 100 points is redeemable for $1 of Instant Credit/Free Slot Play. Further, live poker points are earned at a rate of 150 per rated hour of play and can be used for slot play, food, or retail, similar to other earned points.
Redeem your points for instant credit, free slot play, or dining credits at all Four Winds locations. You can also redeem your points right at any slot machine with a PIN.
Four Winds New Buffalo sportsbook
Four Winds New Buffalo first opened a retail sportsbook in July 2020, when the late great Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael made the first bet. He placed a $20 bet on his Bears to win the Super Bowl. An updated lounge was added later, and now there are 22 televisions, including eight 85-inch TVs. Guests can sit on sectional sofas, at dining tables, or alongside the sports bar.
Customers can enter the lounge through the main entrance near the kiosks, across from Timbers restaurant. Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight, Mondays through Thursdays; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and 2 to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
The flagship New Buffalo location has 18 betting kiosks, with 6 in each of Dowagiac and Hartford. The kiosks are open 24 hours, and New Buffalo also has four betting windows. Bets can be placed at the cashier’s cage at the other Michigan locations, as well as via the Four Winds Online Sportsbook.
Four Winds New Buffalo amenities
Four Winds Hotel
Four Winds is home to a 415-room hotel that is connected directly to the gaming floor. Four Winds Hotel rooms feature pillowtop mattresses, oversized bath sheets, soft, fluffy robes, flat-screen HD televisions, and high-end finishes. Rooms include a coffee maker with Starbucks coffee, a hairdryer, an iron and an ironing board, and high-speed internet access. Four Winds Hotel is also home to a fitness center, pool, and pool bar.
Dining and entertainment
Four Winds New Buffalo features five restaurants, including:
- Copper Rock Steakhouse: Perfectly aged steaks and award-winning wines.
- Kankakee Grille: Comfort food, hometown favorites, craft beers, and specialty cocktails.
- The Buffet: The New Buffalo Casino buffet features an “all-you-can-imagine” selection with cuisines from around the world.
- Timbers: Deli and restaurant dishes at Timbers Fast Food & Deli.
- White Birch Market: Freshly brewed coffee, gourmet sandwiches, salads, pastries, assorted desserts, and gelato.
Bars and lounges on the property include:
- C Bar: Classic brews and specialty cocktails with luxury seating in the center of the gaming floor. In-bar video poker and live entertainment on the weekends.
- Pool Bar: Outdoor oasis featuring a pool, hot tub, two fire pits, poolside service, and the pool bar with entertainment, drinks, and dining. It is accessible from the hotel and the Kankakee Grille.
Entertainment venues on the property also include the 17,000-square-foot, 1,600-seat Silver Creek Event Center, which opened in July 2012. It is an intimate venue where you can catch some of the biggest names in show business. Performers at the venue have included Diana Ross, Gregg Allman, Michael Bolton, Huey Lewis & the News, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, and Jay Leno.
Four Winds New Buffalo history
Four Winds New Buffalo opened on Aug. 2, 2007, as the first and primary property in the Four Winds Casino chain. Management calls it the Midwest’s premier gaming resort.
Four Winds New Buffalo features a rotunda modeled after the traditional lodges of the Potawatomi people. The New Buffalo property underwent a major expansion in 2012, including the construction of a nine-story, 250-room hotel tower and the 1,600-seat Silver Creek Event Center. Because Four Winds is a tribal casino, its gaming operations fall under a tribal-state compact rather than direct Michigan Gaming Control Board oversight, though the MGCB does regulate Four Winds’ licensed online sports wagering and iCasino products.
The other Four Winds properties include Four Winds Hartford, which features more than 430 slot machines, seven table games, a 74-seat restaurant, and a 15-seat bar. There is also Four Winds Dowagiac, which features more than 320 slot machines, seven table games, and one restaurant. Finally, Four Winds South Bend in Indiana offers over 55,000 square feet of gaming space, 1,400 games, four restaurants, three bars, a players’ lounge, a coffee shop, and a 10-table poker room.
Four Winds New Buffalo FAQ
Yes, the gaming floor at Four Winds New Buffalo is restricted to guests 21 and older.
Yes, The Buffet at Four Winds New Buffalo offers an all-you-can-imagine spread with cuisines from around the world.
There are three Four Winds Casinos in Michigan: New Buffalo, Hartford, and Dowagiac, with a fourth Four Winds property across the border in South Bend, Indiana.
Four Winds New Buffalo is roughly 60 to 70 miles from downtown Chicago, about an hour’s drive via I-94.
Yes, the property includes a 415-room hotel connected directly to the gaming floor.
No, Four Winds New Buffalo’s gaming floor is a non-smoking environment.
Why Four Winds New Buffalo stands out
As the largest and most established of the Pokagon Band’s Four Winds properties, Four Winds New Buffalo pairs a sizable gaming floor with a connected hotel, dining options, and a concert venue that regularly draws recognizable acts. Its location just off I-94, within an hour of Chicago, makes it one of the more accessible tribe-run properties in the state for out-of-state visitors. For Michigan players and Midwest travelers alike, Four Winds New Buffalo Casino remains one of the region’s more complete resort destinations.
