The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Opens Four Winds Casino South Bend
SOUTH BEND, Indiana (PRWEB) January 16, 2018 -- The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds Casinos are pleased to announce their newest property, located on 166 acres of tribal trust land in northern Indiana and the first casino in the state of Indiana owned and operated by a Native American tribe, officially opened to the public today at 4 p.m.
The casino, Four Winds South Bend, shares the Four Winds brand with other Pokagon casino locations in New Buffalo, Hartford and Dowagiac, Mich.
More than 300 invited guests joined John P. Warren, Chairman of the Pokagon Band, Frank Freedman, Chief Operating Officer of Four Winds Casinos and Ernie Stevens, Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association at a ribbon cutting ceremony that took place today at 12 p.m. EST. Tribal members performed drum songs as part of the grand opening celebration, and tribal veterans posted flags, prior to an invocation and remarks by invited guests.
Then, at 4 p.m., the doors were officially open to the public.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for all of us and we’re pleased to have you here today,” Freedman said. “This ribbon cutting signifies the work of hundreds of people over the course of the past 13 months. We’re proud to cut this ribbon today for the first tribal casino in the state of Indiana and the fourth Four Winds property.”
“This will be an entertainment destination for the region,” Freedman continued. “We’ve hired and trained over 1,200 of the best people to provide the same superior level of quality and service our guests have come to expect from the Four Winds brand. We offer more than just gaming; we’re excited to bring four new dining experiences to the South Bend region—including Copper Rock Steakhouse, The Buffet, Kankakee Grille and Timbers.”
“From the moment of groundbreaking through this ribbon cutting, the positive support from local, county and state governments has been extraordinary,” said John P. Warren, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. “We could not have done this without the support of many people and agencies. We also extend our gratitude to the Pokagon Elders Council and Pokagon Gaming Authority, along with the entire Tribal Government. Without their knowledge and guidance, we would not be here today.”
Partners supporting the Pokagon Band and Four Winds Casinos in the construction of Four Winds South Bend include architect, HBG Design, Memphis, Tenn.; civil engineer, Wightman and Associates, Benton Harbor, Mich.; construction management company, F.A. Wilhelm, Indianapolis, Ind.; and owners representative, Kramer Management Group, Lansing Mich.
Four Winds South Bend has 175,000 square feet and includes 1,800 games, four restaurants, a players lounge, a coffee shop, three bars, a retail outlet, and approximately 4,500 parking spaces including an enclosed parking structure. The casino has hired more than 1,200 people to date. The casino is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care and cultural preservation for its approximately 5,000 citizens. The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana. Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind. In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011 and Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013. Four Winds South Bend opened January 16, 2018. It owns and operates a variety of business via Mno-Bmadsen, the tribe’s non-gaming investment enterprise. More information is available at http://www.pokagonband-nsn.gov, http://www.fourwindscasino.com and http://www.mno-bmadsen.com.
About Four Winds Casinos
Four Winds New Buffalo, located at 11111 Wilson Road in New Buffalo, Mich., Four Winds Hartford, located at 68600 Red Arrow Highway in Hartford, Mich., Four Winds Dowagiac, located at 58700 M-51 South in Dowagiac, Mich., and Four Winds South Bend, located at 3000 Prairie Road in South Bend, Ind., are owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. Four Winds New Buffalo offers 130,000 square feet of gaming with more than 2,600 slot machines, 50 table games, five restaurants, entertainment bars, retail venues, a pool, and a 415-room hotel, making it the premier gaming resort in the Midwest. Four Winds Hartford features more than 550 slot machines, nine table games, a 74-seat restaurant, and a 15-seat bar. Four Winds Dowagiac features 400 slot machines, seven table games and one restaurant. Four Winds South Bend has 55,000 square feet of gaming space, 1,800 games, four restaurants, three bars, a players lounge, a coffee shop, and a retail outlet. Please play responsibly. You must be 21 years of age to gamble. For more information on Four Winds Casinos, please call 1-(866)-4WINDS1 (866-494-6371) or visit http://www.fourwindscasino.com. Additionally, be sure to like Four Winds Casinos on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fourwindscasino and follow on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/fourwindscasino.
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