The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Gives Back to the Local Community

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THE SAGINAW CHIPPEWA INDIAN TRIBE GIVES BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe received compact approval from the State of Michigan in 1993. As a result of the compact, it allows the tribe to set up a Class III casino. The compacts are agreements between the tribal communities and the State. The Governor assigns the MGCB (Michigan Gaming Control Board) with the task of auditing and overseeing these approved compacts.


The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has contributed the most funds in 2020. On May 26, 2021, the Tribe announced their 2% bi-annual distribution of casino money to local communities. The money will go to local governments and schools. To date, the Tribe has provided $266,353,058.53 to the local communities through the distributions. Since the beginning of Class III Tribal gambling in the State, these distributions are granted to communities.  


Bi-Annual 2021 Awards


During this distribution Arenac County will be awarded over $720,000 for education. In addition, health and safety programs will receive several hundred thousand dollars. The health of the tribe’s members is of high interest in the community. The distribution is to be awarded on May 28, 2021. Secondly, Isabella County will be awarded their funds on May 27, 2021. Isabella County receives over $2 million in funds with over $500 thousand targeting education.

Gambling Revenue Fund Management   

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe announced their 2% bi-annually disbursement of gambling revenue to local communities. Michigan’s tribal casinos generate a great deal of money from its patrons. A portion of each Tribe’s gambling revenue is remitted to their surrounding communities. Each tribe contributes 2% of their net wins to the local revenue sharing board or Michigan State Government. As a result, this money is provided to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF). After that, the MEDC and MSF transfers the gambling revenue to the local communities.

Top Four Tribes Giving Back to Local Communities

Each tribe in the State of Michigan remits 2% of their gambling revenue to local communities. The revenue numbers are staggering. Just to give you an sense of the contribution to the casino fund, the following top four 2020 Tribal disbursements are listed below:

  • Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe- $5,293,564
  • Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi- $4,918,734
  • Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians- $4,396,495
  • Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians- $3,684,810

Online Gambling Coming to Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s Casino

Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has 3 casinos. The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort/ Soaring Eagle Slot Palace- Mount Pleasant, MI (4000 machines) and Saganing Eagles Landing Casino – Standish, MI (800 machines). [1] GAN, a publicly traded company and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe recently announced an agreement for software integration to open their own online gambling platform. During January 2021 online gambling and sports betting became legal in the State of Michigan.  

In conclusion, the expansion of online gambling will have a positive impact on the amount of revenue shared with local communities.

GAN & The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe Approve iGaming Software Deal

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GAN & THE SAGINAW CHIPPEWA TRIBE APPROVE IGAMING SOFTWARE DEAL

GAN Limited, is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. The stock trades under the stock ticker GAN. GAN is a software provider that offers technology solutions for online casinos. GAN headquarters is located in the United Kingdom. On May 24, 2021 GAN entered into a binding agreement with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe owns the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort. The agreement is to provide software to expand the Tribes casino operation to include online gambling and sports betting.

Soaring Eagle Casino Resort

On April 22, 1998 the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort opened for business. Since then, the casino has grown into the largest casino in Michigan. It operates thousands of slot machines on over 210,000 square feet of floor space. Many of the games offer progressive jackpots. In addition, the casino offers table games such as poker and bingo. Some of the more popular card games include Let-It Ride, TX Hold’em, Crazy Four Poker and Mississippi Stud.

Michigan Online Gambling History

In January 2021 online gambling and sports betting became legal in the State of Michigan. The legislation authorizes the Native American Tribes and commercial casinos located within the State to pair up with an online partner to offer gambling and sports betting. For more information on legalized gambling and betting in Michigan please read our FAQ section. In addition, we plan on adding the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resorts online games once they become live.

GAN Agreement with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe

Under the agreement, GAN will install their software called GameSTACK™. This will allow the casino to offer online gaming and sports betting on mobile applications. Also GAN will implement their software called iBridge to monetize the casinos massive database of customers. As a result, the Tribe hopes to convert their loyal customer base into online players.

This is the fourth Tribe located in the State of Michigan to partner with GAN. In conclusion, it is the ninth agreement that GAN has entered into in the United Stated for use of their iGaming and sports betting software.

Gambling Disorder Services Available to Residents of Michigan

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Gambling Disorder Services Available to Residents of Michigan

Are you addicted to gambling? If yes, Gambling Disorder Services are available to residents of Michigan. If you think you have an issue with gambling or sports betting then you most likely have a problem.

  • Do you feel out of control?
  • Are you gambling more money then you should?
  • Are you gambling more to try and recover or cut losses?
  • Do you lay in bed worrying about how much you lost?
  • Are you obsessed about placing bets?
  • How do you feel when you stop gambling? For instance, restless, irritable, anxious…
  • Have you started to lie to your family about your gambling?


Do these questions describe you? If yes, the following information should help you locate people that can help you.

Legalized Online Gambling Gives Rise to Addictive Gambling Disorders

Why is there a recent rise in gambling disorders? In this paragraph, I am going to discuss the rise in addiction. During January 2021 online gambling became legalized within the State of Michigan. Michigan is not a stranger to casino gambling. The State has over 2 dozen gambling options. The state is; however, new to the online gambling and sports betting scene. Because of this trend, gambling addictions appear to be on the rise. The pandemic has also likely contributed to the problem. During 2019, 2020 and part of 2021 many casinos have been closed or partially closed. Residents and visitors to Michigan may not have been able to frequent casinos during these closures. Due to the ongoing pandemic, online gambling has been appealing, but is is causing some people problems.

Visit our FAQ page for commonly asked questions about legalized casino gambling and sports betting in Michigan. Gambling can be fun if done in moderation. However, some people find themselves out of control.

Gambling Disorder Services are Funded by the State of Michigan

The Michigan Gambling Control Board and the Michigan Lottery provide funds for gambling disorder services. In addition, the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline is also available and can be reached at 800-270-7117. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services operates this 24 hour helpline. In addition, gamblers who want to stop, can be put on a non-gambling list. There are other options to such as: the National Council on Problem Gambling, Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon.

Resources for Gambling Addiction in Michigan

According to the Michigan Gambling Disorder 2020 Annual Report ((Michigan Gambling Disorder 2020 Annual Report – this article was written based on this report.)), more local resources are available. The following list includes regional programs and contact numbers for Michigan residents.

Programs# of People ServedArea of ServiceContact
Community Mental Health (CMH) Partnership15Southeast Michigan-Serves the counties of Lenawee, Washtenaw, Monroe and Livingston734-344-6079
Detroit-Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN)92Serves all of Wayne County313-833-2500
Lakeshore Regional Entity30Serves the counties of Allegan, Kent, Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa231-769-2052
Mid-State Health Network27Serves a 21 county area in the lower Peninsula of Michigan517-253-7525
North Care Network Contact4Serves all of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan906-225-7254
Northern Michigan Regional Entity10Serves the Lower Peninsula of Michigan including 21 counties231-487-9144
Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health15Services an 8 county area. The counties include: Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren800-676-0423
Michigan Problem Gambling HelplineOakland 48
Macomb 48
Region Ten 11		Oakland (surrounding Detroit Area), Macomb (surrounding Detroit Area) and Region 10.800-270-7117


Summary of Gambling Disorder Services Provided

These programs helped 312 Michigan residents during 2020. In addition, 538 citizens were offered other treatment programs, 205 were referred to the Disassociated Person’s List and 226 people received crisis intervention for gambling addiction. Professionals have also been provided the needed education and training. During 2020, forty professionals received a lengthy 30 hour training on gambling disorders. As a result, this training has helped professionals reach out to those who have problems with gambling.

In conclusion, if you think you have a problem get help. The first step to recovery is admitting you might have a gambling problem.

LPGA® Symetra Tour at Sweetgrass

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The Sweetgrass Invitational Women's Professional Golfing event is at Island Resort and Casino from June 11-13, 2021.

Island Resort & Casino has partnered with TwinSpires an online sports betting application. This partnership is unique to the Potawatomi Tribe which is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Potawatomi is also known as the Hannahville Indian Community. Through this partnership they offer online sports betting and casino games. In addition to gambling, the tribe also has two golf courses called Sweetgrass and Sage Run. These top rated golf courses are popular in the State of Michigan. Visitors can plan a vacation around the passion of golfing. You can also enjoy time gambling, betting on sports, dining in great restaurants and fun entertainment. In addition, the Tribe has added 14 TwinSpires sports betting kiosks in their sports bar.

Sweetgrass LPGA® Invitational Women’s Professional Golf Tournament

The Sweetgrass Invitational Women’s Professional Golfing event is at Island Resort and Casino from June 11-13, 2021. The Sweetgrass Golf Club has a “Best in State” ranking by GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest. Island Resort and Casino is proud to be hosting this stop on the LPGA® Symetra Tour. This stop is merely the 9th stop out of 20 tournaments in which the woman compete. It is the 10th time Sweetgrass will host the event. In addition, during 2019, the Sweetgrass Golf Club became the official United States qualifier for the Evian Championship. Th Evian Championship which is in France is part of the LPGA® Major for 2021. The Sweetgrass Invitational will feature 144 female players all competing for a $200,000 purse.

This event and the tour serves as a platform for young female professional golfers. Therefore, this tour is to prepare the athletes for success on the LPGA® Tour. This is the 41st season of the competition. After that, they will continue on to FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan ((https://www.symetratour.com/news))

The Hannahville Indian Community in which the event is held is a federally recognized Potawatomi tribe located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is approximately 15 miles from Escanaba.

Visit the Island Resort Golf website to purchase tickets and for more information.