Indiana Could See New Casino That Would Be Biggest Yet

The state of Indiana could be well on its way to see a new casino being developed in the city of South Bend. A Four Winds casino and hotel in South Bend is currently in the drafting process and still has to be approved before construction can begin. A major step forward recently took place towards making the construction of Indiana’s largest possible casino a possibility. A final environmental impact statement was prepared on July 11th.

This statement was compiled by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs. It lays out the preference of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians when it comes to developing the Four Wind Casino and Hotel in South Band. The environmental impact statement also describes how the Native American group wants to construct their Indian village and the amenities they want in their new community.

The final environmental impact also contains a second site option in case the South Bend development falls through. The second option for the casino to be built if the South Bend project cannot be approved is in nearby Elkhert, Indiana. The environmental impact also includes a village proposal without a casino and a mandatory no action proposal.

The development of Native American land in South Bend by the Potawatomi Indians started in the year 2012. The rough draft of the environmental impact statement was completed and submitted in 2015 and a public hearing was held to get the input of the public and stakeholders in the project. The Potawatomi Indians want a 423,000 square foot casino that will have over 200,00 square feet of casino gaming space. The preferred plan by the Indians also includes an eighteen-story hotel with over five hundred guest rooms. A massive lot is also expected to be constructed that can accommodate up to four thousand vehicles.

Now that a final environmental impact statement has been submitted, a wait period of thirty days must pass before a record of decision will be made by the Department of Indian Affairs. The record of decision will contain a final decision on whether the casino and hotel project can go ahead or whether it has been rejected by the Federal government. It will also lay out any environmental actions and risks involved in the casino project.

Assuming the record of decision contains a go-ahead for the casino to proceed, construction can begin as soon as the Potawatomi Indians reach a deal with the governor of Indiana. This deal will include how revenues will be distributed and what duties the Potawatomi Indians will hold in overseeing the new casino and hotel. It is important to note that Native American casinos such as this one are taxed differently than private casinos.