April 5, 2013 Volume 19, Issue 9 For more information on Michigan’s gaming industry, please visit www.michigangaming.com Editor in Chief David D. Waddell, Esq. Phone: 517.507.3859 [email protected] Senior Gaming Analyst & Editor Robert R. Russell, II FOUR WINDS ANNOUNCES DOWAGIAC GRAND Phone: 517.507.3858 OPENING [email protected] n Monday, April 1, 2013, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Reporter and Associate Editor O (“Tribe”) announced that its new casino, Four Winds Dowagiac, will Dustin M. Ford open to the public on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Four Winds Dowagiac will Phone: 517.999.5414 be the third Four Winds-branded casino in the state. [email protected] While the Dowagiac location will be smaller than the other Four Winds Reporter properties, Matt Harkness, General Manager for the Four Winds Casinos, Douglas L. Minke stated in a press release that “[w]e feel that Four Winds Dowagiac is sized Phone: 313.221.9380 accordingly to meet the demand of the local market.” The new gaming [email protected] facility will feature 300 slot machines, four table games, and a Timbers- branded restaurant that can seat up to 30 people. The location will utilize the Reporter Four Winds W Club, a membership program for patrons that can be used at Blaine R. DeGracia all Four Winds locations. In addition to the entertainment amenities, the Phone: 517.507.3857 Tribe has stated that it expects to create approximately 100 jobs in [email protected] connection with the new Dowagiac location. In addition to Four Winds Dowagiac, the Tribe owns and operates the Four Subscription information: Winds New Buffalo, opened in 2007, and Four Winds Hartford, opened in [email protected] 2011. The Tribe also recently announced its second-annual Four Winds Invitational golf tournament, proceeds of which will be donated to the Memorial Children’s Hospital. A publication of RMC Ventures, LLC For more information on Four Winds Dowagiac, please visit the Four Winds Casino website at: http://www.fourwindscasino.com/ Asher Court 321 W. Lake Lansing Rd. East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: 517.507.3860 Fax: 517.908.0235 www.rmclegal.com (Continued on page 2) 1 of 5 MGCB R ELEASES REGULAR Licensing & Regulation Division’s Recommendations Regarding the Suitability of PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA New Key Person of IGT 1. Paul Gracey, Board File No. SL000002 n Tuesday, April 9, 2013, the Michigan -13-001 O Gaming Control Board (“MGCB”) will hold G. Consider the Executive Director’s Report and its Regular Public Meeting. The agenda includes the Licensing & Regulation Division’s the following items: Recommendation Regarding the Transfers of Interest, and Suitability of New Entity A. Consider Board Resolution 2013-01 Honoring Qualifier and Key Persons of Greektown Judge Benjamin J. Friedman for his years of Casino, LLC, Board File No. GTC-2013-002 service to the Board 1. Athens Acquisition LLC B. Consider the Licensing & Regulation 2. Daniel Bruce Gilbert Division’s Recommendation Regarding Level 3. Matthew Paul Cullen 1 and Level 2 Occupational License H. Consider Greektown Casino’s Request for Applications Temporary Suspension of Financial Covenant C. Consider the Executive Director’s Reports and Licensing & Regulation Division’s The MGCB meeting will take place at the Detroit Recommendations Regarding the Pending Office Hearing Room, located at Cadillac Place, Transfers of Interest of 3062 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-700, Detroit, 1. American Gaming & Electronics, Inc., Michigan at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 9th. Board File No. SL001568-13-001 2. Hercules & Hercules, Inc., Board File No. SL000222-13-002 SOARING EAGLE CASINO & R ESORT D. Consider the Executive Director’s Reports and TEAMS WITH ARISTOCRAT the Licensing & Regulation Division’s Recommendations Regarding the Pending TECHNOLOGIES TO DEVELOP Supplier License Renewal Requests of ONLINE CASINO SITE 1. Allied-Eagle Supply Company, Inc., Board File No. SL003802-13-001 ristocrat Technologies has announced that it 2. C. L. Rieckhoff Company, Inc., Board A will be developing an online casino website File No. SL004151-13-001 for the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, the tribal 3. Don Coleman Advertising, Inc. d/b/a gaming operation in Mount Pleasant, Michigan GlobalHue, Board File No. SL005553- owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian 13-001 Tribe. Aristocrat will be utilizing its “nLive” 4. House Advantage LLC, Board File No. online gaming platform to develop the Soaring SL006175-13-001 Eagle site, which Aristocrat describes as the 5. Konami Gaming, Inc., Board File No. largest website it has built for a tribal gaming SL001249-13-001 partner. In its press release announcing this deal, 6. MacKellar Associates, Inc. d/b/a Aristocrat notes that the Soaring Eagle Casino & MacKellar Incentive Marketing, Board Resort nLive site will be a “play-for-fun” casino. File No. SL000177-13-001 7. Renaissance Man Food Services LLC, In addition to providing online games, the nLive Board File No. SL004299-13-001 site will allow the casino to enroll player’s club 8. Tom Maceri & Son, Inc., Board File members online and allow these players to check No. SL000234-13-001 their balances through the site. The nLive site will E. Consider the Executive Director’s Report and integrate with the existing Aristocrat Oasis 360 Licensing & Regulation Division’s Casino Management System that the Soaring Recommendations Regarding the Suitability of Eagle Casino & Resort currently uses to monitor New Key Person of Absolute Imaging its 4,200 electronic gaming devices. This Professionals, Inc. d/b/a Absolute Images integration is designed to allow the casino to better 1. Diane Frances Kraft, Board File No. analyze their players’ land-based and online SL001009-13-001 F. Consider the Executive Director’s Report and (Continued on page 3) 2 of 5 gaming activity in order to provide these players the State of Michigan allows for a second gaming with more customized offers. site in Emmet County. However, according to the Compact, “[t]he location of the Second Site is "Aristocrat has been a valued partner of Soaring contingent on the approval of the affected local Eagle Casino for many years, and as we embrace unit of State government by formal action of the new technology and prepare for the next phase of governing body.” our business ventures, we are very happy to have Aristocrat working side by side with us", said According to the Cheboygan News , the location of Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Director of the proposed casino is on tribal trust lands just Marketing and Entertainment Raul south of Mackinaw City. Venegas. Likewise, Aristocrat Vice President of System Sales and Marketing Kelly Shaw said, "We are thrilled that Soaring Eagle Casino & CANADA SPORTS WAGERING Resort has chosen to expand their relationship with us in the online space, with our award- LEGISLATION UPDATE winning, first-in-the-industry solution. nLive is proven to be an effective tool for operators and an he Canadian Senate continues to debate Bill C enjoyable means of entertainment for players, and T -290, (“C-290”) , legislation that, if passed, we are thrilled that Soaring Eagle trusts us to take would allow single-game sports wagering their incredible brand online." throughout Canada by amending the country’s criminal code to remove the current ban on the practice. The most recent parliamentary debate, UPDATE: M ACKINAW CITY CASINO which occurred on March 7, 2013, allowed for senators and others to state their opposition to the HEARING RESCHEDULED bill. ccording to its official website, the Village of C-290 was first introduced by Joe Comartin A Mackinaw City has rescheduled a casino (Windosr-Tecumseh) in February of 2011 to informational meeting for April 23, 2013 at 7 p.m. expand authorized sports wagering to include to hear public comment regarding a proposed single-game wagers. Current law only allows for casino plan that has been presented by the Little parlay-style wagers and are offered through Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians (“Tribe”). provincial government products, such as Sport The meeting will take place at the Mackinaw City Select, Pro-Line, and the “Game Picks” parlay Public School. According to previous reports, no wagering currently offered at Casino Windsor. In vote will be held at the hearing. March of 2012, C-290 unanimously passed in the House of Commons and was sent to the Senate for Previous feasibility studies commissioned by the approval. Tribe concerning the proposed $26 million project have shown that a satellite casino with 550 slot The bill, however, has faced opposition in the machines and a small food and beverage outlet Senate in several readings and debates over the will potentially generate over 100 construction past year. During the initial discussions in the jobs and 80 full-time casino jobs. Senate last March, Senator Bob Runciman (Ontario) stated his support for the bill “not “We are looking forward to a cooperative, because I am a fan of gambling…but because it is mutually beneficial, and lasting relationship with obvious that anyone who wants to bet on a football the Village of Mackinaw City. This project would or hockey game is already doing it. Rather than be good for both the Tribe and Mackinaw City,” benefiting the provincial government, they are stated Tribal Chairman Dexter McNamara. benefiting, among others, organized crime.” “Northern Michigan needs more year round businesses that create jobs with benefits and this Since this initial statement of support, several project will help fill that need.” senators have noted their opposition to the legislation, often citing concerns over the According to a September 24, 2012 press release (Continued on page 4) from the Tribe, the Tribe’s amended Compact with 3 of 5 country’s professional and amateur sports Newsletter, Vol.