Battle Creek Casino site taken into trust
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Full House Resorts (Amex: FLL) announced today that the United States took the official action to acquire the 79-acre site designated for the casino to be developed by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians (the Tribe) in conjunction with a subsidiary of Full House pursuant to a management contract. This action was the final determination needed to take the land into trust for the benefit of the Tribe.
This action comes a little over two months after the Tribe and the United States Department of Justice, on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), entered into a settlement agreement with Citizens Exposing Truth About Casinos (CETAC) to settle long-standing litigation which has stalled the Tribe's casino gaming project near Battle Creek, Michigan.
The BIA needs to issue a Reservation Proclamation designating this site as initial reservation for the Tribe, which could not be done until the land was in trust. The Tribe is working with the BIA and expects the Reservation Proclamation to issue early next year. Also, the National Indian Gaming Commission needs to approve the management contract. That agency has already reviewed the document with a favorable report and is conducting the background investigation of the Company and its principals as required by federal law. The Company expects formal approval of the management contract early next year as well.
Once these approvals are obtained, the Company estimates the design and construction effort to take 16 to 20 months with an opening in 2008, barring any additional unforeseen delays.
"This is a historic moment for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi," said Tribal Chairwoman Laura Spurr. "The casino will help us to fully develop our tribal government and will create an economic engine that will benefit the entire region."
Andre M. Hilliou, Chief Executive Officer of Full House said, "We are gratified by the speed with which the federal government acted once the legal challenge was overcome. We are poised to create a world-class entertainment center, providing jobs and much needed economic vitality to an area, which recently was once again hit by an economic downturn."