Potawatomi Tribe celebrating 25th anniversary of gaming
On March 8th 2016, the Forest County Potawatomi Community had much to celebrate. The tribe had been in the gaming business, with a casino off the reservation, for 25 years to the day. The tribe first opened a bingo facility in 1991, known as Potawatomi Bingo, which eventually evolved into the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
The first facility launched by the tribe was approved under provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act from 1988 based on a two-part determination. Now, the Potawatomi Casino is a critical part of the local economy.
As many as six million individuals travel to the casino every year and almost 3,000 people are employed at the facility. The venue has undergone three major renovations and provides anywhere from $25 million to $30 million to the state each year.
Mike Goodrich is a tribal member and the general manager of the property. He stated in a press release that from where the casino venue began, as a small bingo hall, to where the venue is now – the number one entertainment destination of Wisconsin – is remarkable. Goodrich said that the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino as well as the Forest County Potawatomi have millions of people to thank for their sustaining success.
