Four Winds Casino is finally ready to add table games and slots to its lineup.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 5 to show off the new amenities.
Four Winds Casino reveals table games
Class III gaming will drastically change the experience of visiting Four Winds.
With a Class II license, the casino was only able to offer games where gamblers played against each other, rather than against the house. That left Four Winds focusing on poker and electronic bingo.
Now that the casino is taking a step up with its gaming license, blackjack, roulette, slot machines, and other against-the-house games will be available.
Four Winds is also adding a sportsbook into the mix, which could be great news for gamblers in South Bend looking to bet on Notre Dame football.
Sports betting may be coming to Four Winds, but it will be limited to the property’s retail sportsbook. The casino will not be able to partner up with an Indiana online betting app.
It all gets started this Thursday at the casino’s ribbon cutting ceremony.
According to the media release, the ceremony will feature Gov. Holcomb and a handful of Indiana lawmakers.
New casino option in northern Indiana
Four Winds is Indiana’s only tribal casino, so it operates with different rules compared to the rest of the state’s gaming spots. That’s why Four Winds hasn’t been able to offer games like blackjack.
With the new upgrades in hand, the property will finally be a full-fledged competitor to the rest of the casinos in Indiana.
The upgrades have been a long time coming.
The Pokagon Band originally sent in a request for a Class III license back in 2019.
That got the ball rolling on the process, but there was still a lot of ground to cover.
That request eventually led to a tribal compact with the state of Indiana. Gov. Holcomb ratified that deal back in May, with the US Department of Interior giving the final thumbs up shortly after.
As part of the compact, Indiana will be collecting 8% of the casino’s slot revenue.
Four Winds gets to add a full selection of casino games and Indiana gets some extra tax money. It’s a win-win for both sides.
The deal also gives gamblers a new option in the northern part of the state.
Outside of the Chicago area spots, Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City has been the only option for Hoosiers living near the Michigan border. That’s finally changing with Four Winds stepping up into Class III territory.
