RubinBrown Gaming Stats 2013

ST. PAUL REGION

Among the NIGC regions, the St. Paul Region consistently ranks the largest in number of casinos, while ranking third in gaming revenues generated. Even though the Region covers the largest geographic area, it has one of the lowest population rates per square mile, which explains the spread between number of casinos and revenues. In 2012, the St. Paul Region was home to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Patchak Decision. As noted in the national summary, the decision represents one of the largest infringements on a tribe’s right to take land into trust since the Carcierci Decision (2009). In spite of the Patchak Decision, Michigan tribes were the beneficiaries of a significant political battle in 2012. In September, the Michigan State Supreme Court disallowed the Michigan Casino Gaming Amendment from appearing on the November 2012 election ballot, ruling the original petition did not provide full notice of the terms within the proposed amendment. Had the amendment been voted on and passed, it would have expanded commercial gaming outside of Detroit to include eight additional commercial casinos within the state of Michigan. Consistent with the other regions, tribes within the St. Paul Region continue to reinvest in their casinos, upgrading their service offerings and amenities in an effort to attract new customers. In 2012, notable new facilities within the Region included: Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, in Iowa, added a 78-room hotel, indoor pool, and arcade to the WinnaVegas Casino, located 25 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska re-opened Casino Omaha as Blackbird Bend, located 35 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa, after losing the casino in 2011 to the historic Missouri River flood. Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians opened a new nine-story hotel tower, featuring 250 rooms, at the Four Winds Casino, located along Interstate 94 near the Michigan and Indiana border. The Mandan, Hidasta, and Arikara Nations expanded their hotel by 122 rooms at the 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, located on Lake Sakakawea in northwestern North Dakota. Forest County Potawatomi Indian Tribe broke ground on a new 20-story hotel that will include 280 rooms and a four-story parking structure at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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