On December 20, 2019, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a gambling expansion package that paved the way for online casinos to operate in the Great Lakes State. This came after years of lobbying and planning, with the legislation designed to regulate Michigan’s gambling market and generate additional state revenue.
It would take another year before online casino operators went live with casino and sports betting facilities, launching on January 22, 2021. Gun Lake Casino was among the first existing casino companies to take advantage of the Michigan online sports betting and gambling laws.
Gun Lake Casino: A history
Gun Lake Casino opened its brick-and-mortar facility in February 2011 on Native American reservation land belonging to the Band of Pottawatomi Indians. It has played a vital role in uplifting previously disadvantaged reservation residents’ lives, including providing access to basic amenities, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Gun Lake Casino has proven itself a tribal casino success story, with the facility altering the tribe’s fortunes, bringing prosperity to an area that desperately needed it.
Not willing to rest on its laurels after opening a successful land-based operation, the Band of Pottawatomi Indians decided to seize the opportunity presented by online gambling and sports betting legalization in Michigan. The Gun Lake Online Casino launched in March 2021 and has seen steady growth in player numbers since its inception.
Gun Lake’s secret to success
Gun Lake’s online operation, known as Play Gun Lake, has been a resounding success thanks to a strategic partnership with Pennsylvania gambling giant, Parx. Parx launched its PA operations last year and has brought its experience and expertise to Gun Lake’s operation. This move has given Play Gun Lake an advantage over many of its competitors, newcomers to the world of online gambling. The results are evident in Play Gun Lake’s performance, declared one of America’s fastest-growing online sportsbooks and casinos.
Parx Casino is owned and operated by Greenwood Racing Inc. and has a substantial brick-and-mortar facility in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It also became one of the Keystone State’s greatest success stories when it launched its online operations in 2020. As a prime example of managing your finances strategically, Parx has reinvested much of its revenue into upgrading its current land-based revenues, expanding its online business, and opening satellite casinos in Pennsylvania.
Parx’s acumen on opening businesses in pandemic has become an asset to Gun Lake, which recently launched its upgraded premises, including several esteemed eateries.
Why the Parx name is not included in the brand
Parx Casino operates and runs Gun Lake’s online casino and sportsbook platform, but its ownership remains with the tribal authorities. While Parx might be working as Play Gun Lake’s partner, the latter has retained its brand name. However, Parx can now expand its operations beyond Pennsylvania and New Jersey states lines and plans to work in similar partnerships with other casinos as they launch online operations. Experts have described it as a win-win situation that benefits all parties concerned.
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