The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe) maintains the tribe, Gun Lake Casino and Gun Lake Investments have added $1.5 billion into Michigan’s economy over the past seven years.
Tribal officials released findings of the Innovation Group’s economic impact study they commissioned. Innovation, a gaming and hospitality analytics firm, worked with the tribe and its subsidiaries to develop the findings of the EIS.
“We are proud to have contributed $1.5 billion to Michigan’s economy in the last seven years through the construction and operation of our gaming and government facilities, and non-gaming business activities,” said Chairman Bob Peters. “Each year, this aggregate economic activity supports over 2,600 jobs and pumps $228 million into the state’s economy.”
Using hard data the tribe provided as direct inputs, Innovation modeled indirect and induced economic impacts through IMPLAN, a leading supplier of economic impact software relied on by the private sector and government agencies to study the effects of economic activities. The EIS provides an analysis of the cumulative impact of the Tribe’s casino and government operations, and non-gaming investments from 2011 to 2017.
This analysis resulted in the finding of $1.5 billion in total economic impact. The study also detailed ongoing annual economic benefits provided to the economy by the tribal government and its subsidiaries. The tribe directly employs 1,281 people within the government, gaming and investment operations. Its annual direct payroll is more than $48 million.
Another $36 million is spent by the tribe annually on goods and services that are purchased from Michigan-based companies. The indirect and induced employment impact added to direct employment results in an annual total of 2,491 jobs that equates to an annual payroll of $99 million.
The tribe has shared more than $109 million with the state and local entities since the opening of the Gun Lake Casino in February 2011. Local distributions also reach school districts, law enforcement agencies, and infrastructure projects. The revenue sharing distributions now exceed $15 million annually.
Finally, the EIS also captured the economic impact of the tribe’s construction of the Gun Lake Casino, as well as numerous government facilities. The total construction budget for these facilities amounts to $236 million, which contributed $142 million to Michigan’s economy. These projects created 1,439 construction jobs.
Thank you Tribe. We are lucky and happy for all that have you done for area. Much appreciated.