From the Kalamazoo Gazette:
Alex Nixon
EMMETT TOWNSHIP — The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, the Native American tribe that owns FireKeepers Casino, said today it paid off a $35 million loan four years earlier than its due date.
According to a press release, the loan was used to purchase FireKeepers’ 2,680 slot machines.
The tribe paid off the loan on Aug. 12, a year after the casino in Emmett Township opened its doors. The casino is located on Interstate 94, just east of Battle Creek.
“Paying off this loan four years in advance attests to the success of FireKeepers Casino,” Tribal Chairperson Homer A. Mandoka said in the release. “The Tribal Council accomplished this on behalf of its 1,146 tribal members.”
The $300 million casino employs 1,500 workers. It’s owned by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, but managed by a separate company, Gaming Entertainment Michigan LLC. Gaming Entertainment is a joint venture between Full House Resorts Inc. and RAM Entertainment LLC, a privately owned investment company.
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