Governor Holcomb Signs Bill Ratifying Class III Gaming Compact With Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians

Pokagon Compact Signing
Seated L-R: Matthew Wesaw, Tribal Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb

SOUTH BEND, IN – Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb visited South Bend recently to complete a ceremonial signing of a bill that ratifies the Class III Gaming Compact for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, a first in Indiana’s history and also a first for native Americas as the Pokagon Band is the only federally-recognized tribe in the State of Indiana. It is also the first piece of Pokagon Band legislation passed in Indiana. This concludes the State of Indiana’s approval process and the compact will now be sent to the U.S. Department of Interior for review.

Having a Class III Gaming Compact with Indiana will enable the tribe to operate it’s South Bend casino, Four Wind South Bend, in a similar manner as it’s three other Four Winds Casinos in Michigan and commercial casinos in Indiana. Additional revenue generated from Four Winds South Bend will support essential programs and services for not only it’s nearly 6,000 tribal citizens and other Native Americans living in the region, but also Indiana residents.

A statement on behalf of the tribe read in part, “We appreciate the willingness of Governor Eric J. Holcomb and Sara Gonso Tait, Executive Director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, to negotiate the compact in a timely and cooperative manner, and the efforts of Senator Ryan Mishler, Senator David Niezgodski, Senator Linda Rodgers, Senator Jon Ford, and Representative Dr. Tim Brown. We would also like to thank the Indiana General Assembly for their approval. This process has demonstrated the value of the ongoing government-to-government relationship between the State of Indiana and Pokagon Band. We look forward to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s review of the Compact, and hopefully approval in the near future.”