Slot machines took in $294 million for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in 2016 and Mt. Pleasant Public Schools, which received $1 million last year, was among the biggest beneficiaries of gaming revenue in Michigan, according to a state gaming report.
The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe has paid $144 million to local governments in the past 26 years, more than any other tribes in the state, but its two casinos in recent years have been second to a downstate tribe in total electronic gaming revenue, according to the report.
Mt. Pleasant schools – which the state said received $1 million in 2016 – was among the top recipients of state gaming revenue, the Michigan Gaming Control Board said.
Mt. Pleasant schools were slightly behind the top grossing schools, including Harper Creek which led the pack with $2.1 million from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band’s FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek.
Wayland schools got $1.6 million and New Buffalo received $1.5 million.
All of those casinos make their payments to local revenue sharing boards, which then distribute the cash to local governments, unlike the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe which takes requests and distributes the payments itself.
Native American casinos are required under three sets of gaming compacts to distribute 2 percent of electronic gaming to local governments in lieu of paying taxes.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi distributed $6 million in payments last year, which was the largest amount disbursed by any of the dozen tribes.
Overall, revenue sharing was up 2 percent from fiscal year 2015, which indicates a general increase in the tribes’ net win from slot machines.
Soaring Eagle Casino was just behind the Pokagon Tribe – which has operated the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo since 2007 – with net payments of $5.88 million in 2016, state figures show.
Third in total payments – indicating the third largest take from slot machines – was the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians, which owns Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek.
With casinos in both Mt. Pleasant and Standish, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, which has operated a casino since 1994, leads the state in total payments to local governments at $144 million since 1994.
The report, Receipts and Distribution of Indian Casino Revenue by Local Revenue Sharing Boards, includes revenue sharing distributions for each tribe to the local communities
Tribal gaming compacts with the state of Michigan and associated federal court consent judgments require payments to local governments or revenue sharing boards. The revenue sharing amount equals 2 percent of the tribal casinos’ net win from slot machines.
Data was provided by the tribes and the seven local revenue sharing boards in Allegan, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Emmet, Manistee and Van Buren counties. The tribes follow different fiscal calendars and payment periods.
The tribes are:
* Bay Mills Indian Community
* Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
* Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish band of Pottawatomi (Gun Lake Tribe)
* Hannahville Indian Community
* Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
* Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
* Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
* Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
* Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
* Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
* Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
* Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Since 1994, Native American tribes operating casinos in Michigan have paid more than $437 million in revenue sharing payments to local units of government and revenue sharing boards.