Kewadin Casinos to Undergo Renovation Ahead of 38th Anniversary

In recent times, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has been more prominent for its operations as the licensee of WynnBET Casino and Sportsbook Michigan. However, the tribal group has been popular stakeholders in the Michigan gaming industry for more than three decades now. This year, the tribe is set to mark 38 years of its flagship casino, Kewadin Casinos being in business. As part of events to commemorate this impressive longevity, the tribe has announced a major upgrade to the casino premises. The multi-million-dollar renovation project is expected to begin in earnest, with winter 2024 as its target completion date.

Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan is home to some of the finest gambling entertainment features. The casino boasts more than 2,000 slot machines and about two dozen table games. An impressive Sault Ste.

Marie Hotel is also located on-site with over 300 rooms, an indoor swimming pool, arcade, dining facilities and a fitness room.

This summer, the tribe is expected to commence its proposed multi-million-dollar renovation on the massive structure.

According to major stakeholders, the end result of the renovation aims to give the gigantic retail site a modern look with cutting-edge exterior materials.

“We’re proud to be one of the first casinos in Michigan to open and to be celebrating our 38-year anniversary in 2023,” said Dana Schlehuber.

“We’ve seen many great changes over those years, and now it’s time for a new look and feel throughout the property that will elevate the guest experience.”
There are no specifics yet about what parts of the casino will be upgraded, but it is believed that there will be new architectural finishing and windows, at the very least.

Another exciting news is that the Kewadin Casino will not close down operations at any time during the renovation project. Instead, the casino has decided to phase out the process. Specific parts of the resort building will be renovated at once, while the others will be fully maximized. Once renovations in sections are completed,
business will move to completed sections to permit renovation on other spaces.

Normally, such plans are known to slow down projects, but the Sault Tribe has announced that the project ought to be completed by the end of winter of 2024.

There are about five Kewadin Casino locations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As is the original intention, Kewadin at Sault Ste. Marie will be the first in the chain to undergo the upgrade this year. Other locations will be renovated subsequently.

Commenting on the plans for other locations, CEO of Kewadin Casinos, Allen Kerridge noted that "[Renovating the Kewadin] is a good project that helps to update the look of the building. It's the beginning of, hopefully, even more improvements as we move forward."

“Our guest experience is of the utmost importance to us, and Kewadin Casinos is revitalizing it with this project as well as several other upgrades at all five Kewadin Casinos,” Kerridge further said in a statement to the press.

At the moment, however, the tribe or casino authority is yet to announce the exact cost of its renovation project or which of its retail centers will be upgraded next. Recall that only a few months ago, Kewadin Casinos was slammed with a court order to pay $88 million in damages over failed investments. Settlement with investors later brought the amount down to $25 million.

Focusing on the Michigan online casino operations of the Sault Ste Tribe, the iGaming brand is looking to attract more customers with jackpot games. WynnBET Casino MI is following in the footsteps of top operators like BetMGM and DraftKings to add jackpot slots to its featured game section. The online casino is also introducing a section for Progressive Jackpots and White Hot Jackpot Games.

In April, WynnBET ended the month with the seventh highest revenue in Michigan and an individual record since its inception in the state. These are ready signs that the tribal casino group is growing beyond its retail casino business and expanding its reach among online players.