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The 23 tribal casinos doing business in Michigan have reported their first increase in revenue-sharing payments since 2021, albeit a slight one. Tribal casinos do not have to report earnings like the three commercial casinos in Detroit do, but their payments to the state can be considered an indication of overall performance.
According to the 2023 Tribal Gaming Report released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), properties reported nearly $30.5 million in payments to local entities, which is a 0.33% year-over-year in increase.
The revenue report discloses the payments tribes make to local units of state government based on slot revenue from their Class III machines.
Michigan tribal casino payments over the years
The payments the tribes make represents roughly 2% of the casino’s respective net win accrued over the year. It is the only information the public gets on tribal casinos’ performance.
The payment has decreased for two straight years, until increasing slightly in 2024. However, the only reason the payment increase in 2021 was because of the pandemic-shutdowns in 2020.
There are 12 tribes that operate 23 casinos across the Great Lakes State, with Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians running the most with five.
Here’s a breakdown of payments and percentages since 2021:
| Tribe | 2021 payment | 2022 payment | 2023 payment | 2024 payment | YoY Change | Change 2021-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Mills | $340,688 | $329,502 | $379,020 | $374,141 | -1.3% | +9.8% |
| Grand Traverse Band | $1,383794 | $1,344,666 | $1,415,317 | $1,457,647 | +2.8% | +5.8% |
| Gun Lake | $4,243,082 | $4,272,440 | $4,311,322 | $4,500,516 | +4.7% | +7.1% |
| Hannahville | $1,122,372 | $1,192,758 | $1,236,883 | $1,233,029 | -0.2% | +9.9% |
| Keweenaw Bay | $754,687 | $725,721 | $715,994 | $742,251 | +3.7% | -1.6% |
| Lac Vieux Desert Band | $291,596 | $273,875 | $269,644 | $343,111 | +27.2% | +17.7% |
| Little River Band | $1,463,331 | $1,498,279 | $1,537,162 | $1,586,297 | +6.7% | +9.6 |
| Little Traverse Bay Bands | $1,150,137 | $1,112,296 | $1,154,910 | $1,140,483 | -0.9% | -0.9% |
| Nottawaseppi Huron Band | $6,397,613 | $6,196,103 | $6,254,876 | $6,077,822 | -2.8% | -5.0% |
| Pokagon Band | $6,120,250 | $5,578,183 | $4,910,664 | $4,637,999 | -5.6% | -24.2% |
| Saginaw Chippewa | $7,023,782 | $6,916,589 | $6,592,460 | $6,594,805 | +0.03% | -6.1% |
| Sault Ste. Marie | $1,214,061 | $1,364,104 | $1,606,102 | $1,783,469 | +11.0% | +46.9% |
| Total | $31,505,393 | $30,804,516 | $30,384,354 | $30,471,571 | +0.3% | -3.3% |
Best performers of 2024
There were five tribes that experienced a payment increase. The Lac Vieux Desert Band, operating Northern Waters Casino Resort, produced the highest year-over-year change of 27.2%.
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (SSM), operating five re-opened in a phased process.
SSM has been Michigan’s top performer since 2021, increasing payments by 46.9%.
Little River Band also displayed a 6.7% increase in 2024 from the previous year.
2024 tribal gaming oversight accomplishments
The MGCB lists a series of accomplishments from the tribes that occurred in 2024. Those include:
- Commenced one new net win inspection, covering five fiscal years, and one new compliance inspection.
- Made significant progress on four ongoing net win inspections, covering a combined 14 fiscal years, and three ongoing compliance inspections.
- Completed the migration to new audit management software that will be utilized as the primary program for all future inspections and related tasks.
- Made progress with the MGCB’s internal control evaluation for the biennial period ended September 30, 2024, as required by state law.
- Tracked, analyzed, and reported on tribal revenue sharing payments.
- Made substantial contributions to MGCB’s regulatory efforts related to internet gaming, internet sports betting, and fantasy contests.
Michigan tribes, making up 23 of the 26 casinos in the state, have a huge impact on the gambling industry. Many of the mainstream sports betting operators are partnered with tribes, making the online vertical important, too.
