Expanded 45,000 ft. gaming floor opens at Four Winds Casino in South Bend

WNDU 16 News
 
Expanded 45,000 ft. gaming floor opens at Four Winds Casino in South Bend
Wild Casino

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Four Winds Casino in South Bend is unveiling hundreds of new ways to play after cutting the ribbon on their expanded gaming floor.

It’s the newest space for visitors to play Class III games like poker, roulette, and even bet on sports.

With Class III gaming up and running at Four Wind Casino in South Bend, tribal leaders cut the ribbon on the expanded floor where their visitors will play most of them.

The floor offers eleven new table games they didn’t have before including blackjack and roulette. It’s also where you’ll be able to find 850 new slot machines and the high-limit room where players can place bets up to $100 per pull.

They also have more than 50 seats for video poker too.

" It’s just a great opportunity to be able to provide more games and more space under the new compact that has been signed into place for a year now allowing for class three gaming which allows table games and those class three style machines,” said Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribal Chair Rebecca Richards.

Some of the lawmakers who helped push that compact through were also on hand for the ribbon cutting including State Sens. Dave Niezgodski (D-10) and Ryan Mishler (R-09), as well as state Rep. Jake Teshka (R-07).

Not only is opening the expansion a huge milestone for their guests, but it keeps the casino right on track to complete its 23-story hotel tower by the beginning of 2023.

“It’ll be a showstopper by any standard but furthermore, as you look beyond what we currently have, we would look to continue to encourage other business opportunities as they present themselves. So I think we’re just getting started,” said Four Winds Casinos C.O.O.Frank Freedman.

The new gaming opportunities also came with employment opportunities, attracting 350 new workers to build the new floor and hotel.

They’re looking to hire up to 400 new employees to make sure everything is running smoothly once the new amenities are finished.

While these games are expected to bring in a pretty penny for the casino, some of that money will make its way back to the wider community.

The compact signed last year allowed the casino to introduce class three gaming in exchange for 10% of their slot machine revenue. 8% will go to the state and 2% will go to St. Joseph County.