Michigan Indian gaming

NPR: “Tribes in Michigan struggle with decision to shut down casinos for coronavirus”

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Update in Patrick Devlin Suit against Michigan Gaming Control Board

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is today’s Sixth Circuit opinion in Devlin v. Kalm.

An excerpt:

Plaintiff Patrick J. Devlin appeals the district court’s order granting Defendants’ motions to dismiss based on the abstention doctrine and the court’s denial of Plaintiff’s motion for default judgment. Plaintiff argues that his termination from the Michigan Gaming Control Board was retaliatory in violation of his First Amendment rights under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1988 and his due process rights, after he made disparaging remarks to the press about the Michigan Attorney General and the application of the state’s gaming laws to Native American tribes.

City Pulse News Article and Radio Show on a Possible Tribal Casino in Lansing

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here is the news coverage. An excerpt:

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said a casino in Lansing would have a “tremendous positive impact,” but some experts disagree.

On Friday, following reports that his administration is negotiating for a casino, Bernero issued a written statement saying his “administration strongly supports the concept of a casino in Lansing because it would have a tremendous positive impact on our local economy.”

But Matthew Fletcher, MSU professor of law and director of the indigenous law and policy center said building a casino in Lansing would siphon wealth from other communities rather than create new wealth.

“Michigan Indian gaming is what I would call zero-sum, it’s grown as much as it can,” Fletcher said. “If a casino generates let’s say $100 million, almost all of that is going to come from other communities.”

Fletcher said the Indian gaming industry leveled off about 10 years ago at the $10 billion mark. Even the three non-Indian casinos in Detroit started siphoning money from the Indian casinos. [MF edit: this supposed to be $1 billion, and limited to Michigan, but no biggie]

“There certainly will be positive economic impacts (for Lansing), there will be some growth,” Fletcher said. “The significance of it isn’t going to be a whole lot.”

And the radio show, on the MSU radio station (89 FM):

Ted O’Dell of the Lansing Jobs Coalition, tribal spokesman James Nye and MSU professor Matthew Fletcher discuss Indian casinos. Katherine Draper and Bruce Witwer of the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition speak about the Homeowner Education Resource Organization program. MSU theater senior Dennis Corsi previews his new theater company’s first production, “Bare,” which opens this weekend.

Pointless Statistic of the Week: Michigan Indian Gaming Revenue by Slot Machine

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Well, pointless is a bit harsh, but this listing doesn’t take into account overall revenue, which is a more accurate indicator.

From the Kalamazoo Gazette, via Pechanga:

After reporting yesterday on slot machine revenue at FireKeepers Casino and Four Winds Casino, I thought it would interesting to see how Michigan’s 11 Native American tribal casino owners stack up in terms of revenue from slot machines.

Below is a ranking of casino-owning tribes by average revenue per slot machine per month.

Note that it’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison because operators report slot machine revenue for the different time periods.

All data come from the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

$8,638 per machine per month

$7,201

$5,393

$5,154

$4,028

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