Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel Review
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel is a tribal gaming destination in Williamsburg, Michigan, just 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City, Northern Michigan’s largest city.
It opened in July 2008 and is owned and operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe. The tribe also owns and operates the smaller Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge on the nearby west shore of Grand Traverse Bay.
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel features a 56,000 square-foot gaming space where guests will find over 1,200 slots, about 25 table games, and a Caesars Sportsbook. The minimum gambling age at Turtle Creek is 18, and the gaming floor is entirely smoke-free.
There’s a 137-room hotel with modern guest rooms and suites and a number of high-quality restaurant options on the property. Visitors can also enjoy a market and gift shop, a fitness center, live music, cultural events, and more.
Read on for everything you can expect to find at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, a standout among Michigan retail casinos set in the heart of the state’s cherry and wine country.
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel snapshot and driving distances
| Address | 7741 M-72 East, Williamsburg, MI 49690 |
| Hours of operation | Mon.-Thur. 7 a.m.-3 a.m., Fri.-Sun. 24 hours |
| Games | 1,200+ slots; 25+ table games (blackjack, roulette, craps); sportsbook |
| Table Games hours | 9 a.m.-3 a.m. every day (craps tables open 3 p.m. each day) |
| Sportsbook hours | Kiosks available during casino hours; betting windows open when needed |
| Minimum age | 18 years old |
Driving distances to Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
If you’re driving to Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, here’s how far (or near) it is from few other Michigan locations:
- Driving distance from Traverse City, MI — 4 miles via M-72 E
- Driving distance from Gaylord, MI — 41 miles via M-32 W and M-72 W
- Driving distance from Grand Rapids, MI — 136 miles via US-131 N
- Driving distance from Detroit, MI — 244 miles via I-75 N and M-72 W
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel online gambling partnership
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, through its owner, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment since Michigan’s online gambling launch in January 2021. Thus, when you visit the Caesars Palace Online Casino Michigan site, you’ll see the Turtle Creek logo. The same is true for Caesars Sportsbook in Michigan. Note, there is also a retail location with the Caesars brand inside Turtle Creek.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board licenses and regulates both products, even though they operate under Turtle Creek’s tribal gaming compact rather than direct MGCB oversight of the retail gaming floor.
Games at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
The 56,000-square-foot gaming floor at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel features close to 1,200 slots and video poker games and about 25 table games. That means a decent selection of slots and the most popular and latest in table games. The venue also runs a variety of promotions, including:
- Birthday promotions
- Car giveaways
- Prize drawings
- Bonus Time Bonanza: Win up to $1,000 in E-Credits
- Top Tiers: Win a share of over $25,000 in cash and E-Credits
- Saturday Super 7s: Win a share of over $60,000 in cash and prizes
- The End of the Rainbow Prize Patrol: Win a share of $14,000 in cash & prizes
- First Responder Appreciation Day
- Veterans Appreciation Day
- Super Seniors Day
Slots
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel features many of the most popular slots. There’s everything from penny slots to $100 denomination slots among the classic reels, modern video slots, video keno, and video poker games. Turtle Creek particularly highlights a few groups of Aristocrat Gaming slots, including:
- Lightning Link High Stakes — Lightning Link Happy Lantern, Lightning Link Dragon Riches, Lightning Cash Moon Race, Lightning Cash TIKI Fire, Lightning Link Wild Chuco, and Lightning Cash Best Bet
- Lightning Dollar Link — Checkered Flag, Chica Bonita, KungFu Master, Corrida de Toros
- Jackpot Carnival — Buffalo, Timber Wolf, Power of 88
Table games
You can play any of the table games each day from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m., with the exception of craps, which opens up at 3 p.m. every afternoon. Players can take advantage of the “Daily $3 Blackjack & Beer” promotion as well, which is a $3 minimum table available 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Here are the games Turtle Creek typically spreads:
- blackjack
- craps (featuring the Super Shooter Side Bet)
- roulette
- Three Card Poker
- Criss Cross Poker
- Super 4 Poker
- Jackpot Hold’em
- Louisiana Stud
- Take 2 Back
Turtle Creek Casino Rewards Card
The Turtle Creek Casino Rewards Card offers rewards for play and discounts on-property. Membership is free, and the card is good at both the Turtle Creek location and Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge. You can use your card for discounts on accommodations and restaurants at both properties. Plus, cards can be used to earn comps redeemable for food and accommodations.
Turtle Creek Casino offers five levels of membership:
- Sapphire: Includes birthday promotions and complimentary valet
- Ruby: Sapphire benefits plus discounts on gas, hotel rooms, restaurants, retail, golf, spa, and concerts. Includes 2x promotion bonus entries.
- Emerald: Ruby benefits plus 48-Hour pre-sale on concert tickets, priority service lanes, and invitation-only events. Includes 3x promotion bonus entries.
- Pinnacle: Emerald benefits plus a personal host, complimentary hotel room upgrades, late checkouts, and 30-minute slot machine holds. Includes 5x promotion bonus entries.
- Onyx: Pinnacle benefits plus complimentary VIP experiences and 7x promotion bonus entries.
The card can also be used at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, a sister property to Turtle Creek, located just minutes away, that features golf, spa services, and shopping.
The Caesars Sportsbook at Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
Caesars Sportsbook is located on the gaming floor at Turtle Creek, with betting kiosks available whenever the gaming floor is open. During peak hours, Turtle Creek will also open betting windows to help serve bettors. Note that even though Turtle Creek Casino is an “18-and-up” location where the minimum age to gamble is 18, you have to be at least 21 years old to wager on sports.
You will find comfortable lounge-style seating, more than 20 HD televisions, pool tables, a full-service bar, and an outdoor patio, giving it a sports-bar feel.
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel amenities
The Turtle Creek Hotel
Turtle Creek is home to a hotel with 137 guest rooms and 10 suites, 4,500 square feet of meeting space, a gift shop, and a fitness center.
Hotel room amenities include:
- 55″ flat screen LED TVs
- In-room coffee makers
- In-room air conditioning
- Deep soaking tubs and satin sheets in select rooms, following a recent hotel-wide renovation
Further hotel amenities include:
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Access to the casino
- 24-hour fitness center
- 4,500 sq. ft. of meeting space
- Complimentary valet parking
Dining and entertainment
The Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel features several dining options and other places to socialize and relax. Restaurants and bars on the property include:
- Bourbons 72 Steakhouse: Turtle Creek’s premier steakhouse and bourbon bar featuring signature prime cut steaks, fresh seafood, and 72+ bourbons behind the bar.
- Season’s Buffet: Buffet-style dining in a newly renovated casual restaurant atmosphere.
- The Deli: Quick bites in a retro diner atmosphere with burgers, shakes, and a gamblers’ breakfast.
- Tower Bars: Modern and sophisticated atmosphere with multiple flat screens, surround sound music, and a spectacular floor-to-ceiling waterfall with lights.
- Mid-Level Bar: A modern lounge with a striking waterfall feature overlooking the gaming floor, though it’s reserved for special events only.
There’s also the Turtle Creek Market for conveniences and the Turtle Creek Gift Shop for keepsakes. Nearby are other fun destinations like the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Traverse City State Park, and the Grand Traverse Resort (with a free shuttle).
Wine lovers can also take part in various tasting tours in the area. And those who visit in July can time their trip around the National Cherry Festival in nearby Traverse City, one of the region’s signature events celebrating the area’s status as the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital of the World.
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel history
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians received federal recognition in 1980. The tribe then entered the gaming business with a bingo hall in Peshawbestown in 1984. Once the tribe reached a gaming compact with the state, it opened Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg in 1996 as its second gaming property.
In 2008, the tribe replaced the original site with a $116 million, 360,000-square-foot complex featuring a striking, brightly lit interior that drew significant local press attention at its June grand opening. The new Turtle Creek launched with 1,300 slot machines and 42 table games, and the original building was later demolished and replaced with a parking deck.
Turtle Creek added the Onyx Sports Book in September 2020, followed by online gaming and sports betting the following year through a partnership with William Hill, which became Caesars Sportsbook and Caesars Palace Online Casino in August 2021. Most recently, in September 2025, the tribe’s gaming arm reverted to its original name, Grand Traverse Band Economic Development Corporation, and now oversees four properties: Turtle Creek, Leelanau Sands, the newer Crystal Shores Casino, and the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel FAQ
Yes, the minimum gambling age on the floor is 18, though you have to be 21 or older to wager on sports.
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel is just a short four-mile drive via M-72 to downtown Traverse City.
The gaming floor open 24 hours Friday through Sunday, and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday.
Current promotions include Bonus Time Bonanza, Saturday Super 7s, Top Tiers, and The End of the Rainbow Prize Patrol, along with car giveaways and prize drawings.
Yes, the on-site hotel offers 137 guest rooms and 10 suites. Be aware that while the minimum age to gamble at Turtle Creek is 18, you need to be at least 21 to book a hotel room there.
Yes, guests get a complimentary shuttle to Grand Traverse Resort’s championship golf courses nearby.
The bottom line on the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
Set in the middle of Michigan’s cherry and wine country, Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel combines a solid gaming floor with a genuinely striking building, a 137-room hotel, and easy access to Traverse City and the region’s golf and wine attractions. Its Caesars Sportsbook partnership and steady rotation of promotions keep it competitive with the state’s larger properties, even without the scale of Detroit’s commercial venues. For travelers already exploring Northern Michigan, Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel is a worthwhile stop.
