5 Michigan Casinos That Shut Down but Transformed the Industry
The history of gambling in Michigan includes both the casinos that failed and those that succeeded. According to their historical influence, these five closed locations influenced urban gaming, tribal sovereignty, and regulatory reform. Even though they are no longer with us, their legacy continues to impact Michigan's performance.
5. From 2000 until 2007, Victories Casino
Petoskey: Odawa Indians' Little Traverse Bay Bands
Victories Casino, the tribe's first full-service gaming establishment, was located in a former bowling alley. It contributed to the establishment of Odawa gaming in northern Michigan during its seven years of operation.
Why it Closed: On June 20, 2007, Odawa Casino Resort took its place.
What's Present: 2013 saw demolition, but the site is still undeveloped.
4. The 1984–1985 Super Bingo Palace
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Peshawbestown
This was the tribe's first attempt at high-stakes bingo, and it opened in July 1984. It consistently attracted large crowds and encouraged formal tribal-state compacts in Michigan. Despite being classified as a bingo hall, it functioned as a complete gambling venue under tribal sovereignty and contributed to the tribe's aspirations to become Class III.
Why it Closed: The tribe decided to establish a larger casino business, the nearby Leelanau Sands Casino, which opened in May 1991, because bingo halls were being scrutinized in Michigan at the time.
What's There Now: The original structure was destroyed.
3. From 1984 till 2020, Kings Club Casino
Brimley—Indian Community in Bay Mills
Blackjack and slots were available in the first tribally owned casino in the United States. During its 36-year existence, Kings Club contributed to the beginning of the contemporary tribal gaming trend.
COVID shutdown was the reason it closed; it never reopened.
What's Present: Demolished in 2025; residences and stores will be built on the site.
2. From 1983 to 1985, The Pines Casino
Zeba—Indian Community of Keweenaw Bay
On trust land owned by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Fred Dakota's garage casino operated lawfully under tribal sovereignty. But it was against Michigan state law, which forbade public gambling outside of organizations with licenses. The Pines became a legal hotspot for tribal gaming because of this conflict between state criminal jurisdiction and tribal sovereignty. Despite its brief existence, it attracted government attention and served as a catalyst for the Indian Gaming Regulation Act of 1988.
The FBI raid and the federal injunction were the reasons it closed.
What's There Now: The original garage is still there, and the house is private.
1. From 2010 to 2011, Vanderbilt Casino
Bay Mills Indian Community at Vanderbilt
After just five months of operation, the state filed a lawsuit against this off-reservation casino, sparking a ten-year legal struggle that resulted in the US Supreme Court ruling that Indian tribes enjoy sovereign immunity from lawsuits. After the matter was returned to the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan, a settlement was struck whereby the tribe committed to refraining from running a gaming establishment on the property for a minimum of five years. The tribe never reopened the casino, despite being among the first in the US to participate in statewide online gaming.
The reason for its closure was a federal injunction following a state lawsuit.
What's Present: Unoccupied building with no intention of reopening
