Gun Lake Casino and Hotel Review
The Gun Lake Casino first opened its doors in February 2011. It is owned and operated by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians. The opening of this venue was delayed by a series of legal challenges. This casino recently benefited from an expansion that was completed in 2017.
You’ll find more than 2,000 slots on the casino floor at Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, MI. You will also find all the popular tables games at 47 tables. The poker room features 14 tables of both cash and tournament action. Sports betting fans can now head to the Stage 131 Sportsbook. This was created in partnership with Parx. Online sports betting and casino games are also expected as part of this deal.
This page details all of the information you will need ahead of a trip to the Gun Lake Casino. Below are details of the casino games, sports betting options, leisure facilities, and player reward scheme.
History of the Gun Lake Casino
The history of the Gun Lake Casino has been entwined with the history of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians. This tribe was part of the Three Fires Confederacy that signed the Treaty of Grenville in 1795. Two centuries of legal challenges, relocations, and trying to achieve full recognition would become a way of life for the tribe.
In 2001, the Tribe began an arduous process to re-establish reservation lands to pursue economic development under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The federal process did not conclude until 2005, as legal challenge after legal challenge was met, causing frustrating delays to the development of their casino.
The Gun Lake Casino finally opened in 2011 and despite further challenges, the casino has remained open. The last legal challenge was completed in 2018. The year 2017 saw a large expansion to the casino. A second expansion is now underway and is expected to be completed in 2021. Law changes in Michigan have also allowed casinos to offer sports betting and online casino gaming. In 2020, the Gun Lake casino partnered with Parx to offer all of these services.
Slots at Gun Lake Casino
There are more than 2,000 slots at the Gun Lake Casino. You will find a mix of different games, with video slots alongside classic ‘reel’ games, as well as a range of video poker and keno machines.
Gun Lake casino specializes in bringing in new and exciting slot choices, with regular updates to the range. These can be found among the most popular slot titles such as Wheel of Fortune. There is a focus on the games being ‘looser’ than in other Michigan casinos.
Table games at Gun Lake
In total, there are 47 tables in play at this casino. As well as all of the classic table games, including blackjack and roulette, there are games with progressive jackpot side bets. They include a jackpot bet with Three Card Poker and Progressive Mississippi stud. You can win progressive prizes when playing Four Card Poker or Ultimate Texas Hold’em by betting on the dealer’s hand. The ‘Table Games Progressive Jackpot’ can get big — at time of writing it is over $50,000.
Gun Lake Casino poker room
The non-smoking poker room at the Gun Lake casino features 14 tables of both cash and tournament action. No-limit Hold’em is the most popular format, while players can also enjoy a game of Omaha.
Cash game tables run seven days a week, while poker tournaments take place every day, apart from Wednesdays and Fridays. If you’re unlucky enough to be hit by a major bad beat, you could find your fortunes suddenly turned around by the award of a bad beat bonus.
Stage 131 Sportsbook and Lounge
Law changes in Michigan regarding sports betting have enabled casinos in the state to link up with sports betting partners. The Gun Lake Casino has partnered with Parx, a company that has launched successful sports betting operations in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The Stage 131 Entertainment Venue has been one of the major beneficiaries of the casino expansion, doubling in size and now featuring an outdoor patio and a dining area. This has seen the creation of the Stage 131 Sportsbook and Lounge in the venue, where all of your sports betting needs can be served.
Online gambling options
In July 2019, Gun Lake Casino and Rush Street Interactive announced the launch of the Casino4Fun social casino and sportsbook. This online gaming platform allowed players to enjoy these casino options free. No real money gaming agreement has been agreed between the two companies.
The real money gaming option will come from the partnership with Parx. This will see both online sports betting and online casino games available. You can access these games via casino apps or websites and can legally gamble as long as you remain inside Michigan state lines.
Gun Lake Casino promotions and loyalty scheme
The main rewards program at the Gun Lake Casino is the comprehensive ‘GLC Rewards’ program. Every time you play any games at the casino, you earn points that vary depending on what games you play:
- Slots: one point for every dollar wagered
- Keno: one point for every dollar wagered
- Video poker: one point for every two dollars wagered
- Table games: average bet amount x hours played equals the number of points earned
- Poker room: 50 points for every hour played
You can also earn points by making purchases in the gift shop and the two restaurants.
When you reach 500 points you can redeem them for a dollar.
The scheme has five levels: Experience, Preferred, Reserve, Elite, and Elite+. You’ll enter into the Experience level immediately, and as you move up through the levels, more bonuses and discounts become open to you. For example, as you move through the second, third, fourth, and fifth levels, you’ll earn discounts of 10%, 15%, 25% and 50% respectively at the Harvest Buffet.
You’ll also be able to claim discounts at local partners, such as complimentary tickets at a comedy club, or friends and family rates at restaurants.
Other promotions include Pong Blingo, where three guests an hour will be invited on stage and asked to drop three balls into prize slots. Hit the X each time and you could win a Chevy Blazer.
Prize draws play a big part at the Gun Lake Casino. Players earn drawing tickets based on their level of play. Draws take place on Sundays at the end of each month, with thousands of dollars to be won.
Bonanza Bucks is the big promotion at Gun Lake Casino, with a prize of between $20,000 and $50,000. For a chance to win, all you need to do is to play with your GLC Rewards Card during the promotional period.
Hotels near Gun Lake Casino in Michigan
There isn’t a Gun Lake Casino hotel on site. However, you can still enjoy stays at one of the five hotel partnerships the casino has established. Each of the hotels is situated within 17 miles of the venue, and are as follows:
- Bay Pointe Inn, Shelbyville (10 miles from the casino)
- Comfort Inn, Plainwell (13 miles from the casino)
- Comfort Suites, Grand Rapids (14 miles from the casino)
- Hampton Inn, Wyoming (17 miles from the casino)
- Baymont Inn and Suites, Byron Center (13 miles from the casino)
Dining options
There are two dining options within the casino:
- Harvest Buffet: Here you’ll find American favorites, Asian specialties, traditional Italian, and Mexican foods all served as a buffet. This plush new eatery is a popular addition to the casino.
- Sandhill Café: This is where you’ll enjoy classic American foods such as burgers and more. This café is open 24/7.
Alongside the Gun Lake Casino restaurant you can enjoy drinks at Stage 131, Crossroads, Chill Bar and the ‘On The Side’ Bar.
Entertainment
Entertainment takes place at Stage 131 in the casino. You can reserve a booth in the venue where you will receive tableside VIP bottle service and enjoy the live entertainment for the evening. The casino is proud to offer the best local live acts at the venue. The slogan ‘We Love our Locals’ features on the casino website. With the new Sportsbook and Lounge opening at Stage 131, you will be able to place bets while you enjoy the shows and other Gun Lake Casino events.
How does Gun Lake Casino compare?
The Gun Lake Casino is a good mid-sized casino ideal for tourists and residents of Michigan. The 2,000+ slots on the casino floor will impress slot gamers. Table game and poker enthusiasts are well catered to with more than 60 tables available at the casino.
With the comprehensive GLC Rewards Program, you will always be earning points as you play. This scheme offers discounts at facilities around the casino. With two restaurants, several bars and the entertainment options available at Stage 131, there is something for everyone at Gun Lake Casino.
Look out for announcements of new online gambling options including sports betting and casino games in the near future!