After U.P. Casino Balks, What Michigan Casino Will Be The First To Reopen?

Could you please rephrase this for me?

One Michigan casino had plans to reopen on Wednesday following a period of over a month with no bets being placed in the state.

Which Michigan casino will be the first to open now that the Upper Peninsula’s Island Resort and Casino has decided not to open this week?

Due to an executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, Detroit’s three commercial casinos – Greektown Casino-Hotel, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino – will remain closed until at least May 28. These establishments have been shut down since March 16.

However, due to the fact that 23 out of Michigan’s 26 casinos are under the operation of the state’s 12 federally recognized Native American tribes, the decision to open rests solely with them, as they possess autonomy.

Island Resort and Casino reschedules reopening

On Friday, the Hannahville Indian Community made an announcement that they will be reopening the Island Resort and Casino on Wednesday.

Originally scheduled to reopen on April 6th, the Harris casino, situated near Escanaba, had to remain closed since March 21st. Due to multiple extensions of the reopening date, Wednesday will mark exactly one month beyond the initially planned reopening.

On Tuesday night, the casino changed its decision and announced that it now intends to reopen on May 16, instead.

To ensure customer safety, the casino had devised a number of measures. These included conducting temperature checks at the entrance, installing plexiglass barriers between players, and initially allowing only slot machines to be operational.

The remaining parts of the facility, comprising the golf courses and hotel, will be gradually opened at a later stage using a phased-in approach.

Reaction mixed about casino reopening plans

The initial announcement, prominently displayed at the top of the casino’s Facebook page, was generating significantly higher levels of engagement compared to the usual statistics.

By Tuesday morning, the post had been shared by almost 600 individuals and received over 600 comments, showcasing a wide spectrum of sentiments ranging from supporting to heavily criticizing it.

However, the delay in the opening also garnered significant attention, with approximately 650 shares within three hours of being posted on Tuesday night.

Upper Peninsula, northern Michigan could open first

The impact of the pandemic on the Upper Peninsula has been significantly less severe compared to the Detroit area, which is approximately a 4-hour drive away, and is separated from the state’s peninsulas by the Mackinac Bridge.

As of Monday evening, Michigan had reported a total of 4,135 deaths, making it the third state with the highest number of reported deaths.

According to the state’s website, Menominee County, where Island Resort and Casino is located, has reported only six cases of COVID-19 and no fatalities.

Generally speaking, there is a higher probability of witnessing an increase in casino openings in the Upper Peninsula compared to the Lower Peninsula.

In Gogebic County, home to the Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet, there have been a total of five documented COVID-19 cases and one fatality.

Current status of Upper Peninsula casinos

The operations of all 11 casinos in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are solely managed by Native American tribes.

Below is a compilation of the Michigan casinos located in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) along with their current reopening status:

• The Bay Mills Resort and Casinos (Bay Mills and Kings Club) in Brimley will be reopening sometime after May 15, as confirmed by a message shared through the resort’s Facebook account.
• The reopening of Kewadin Casinos, which are situated in Christmas, Hessel, Manistique, Sault Ste. Marie, and St. Ignace, is currently planned for May 16.
• The opening of Island Resort and Casino in Harris has been rescheduled to May 16th, which was originally planned for Wednesday.
• The Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet recently made announcements regarding its closure and delayed reopening. On March 31, the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians declared that the facility would be closed throughout April. On April 25, a Facebook post conveyed that the reopening scheduled for May 1st would not be happening and that a new date would be shared in due course. The resort’s golf course initially opened on Friday but had to close on Monday due to adverse weather conditions.
• No updates were provided regarding the closure of Ojibwa Casinos in Baraga and Marquette. According to the website, both casinos will remain closed until the end of April and potentially longer, in accordance with social distancing guidelines recommended by Michigan state and Federal authorities during the Coronavirus pandemic. The company’s Facebook account stated that they will inform the public of any updates as soon as they become available.

Lower Peninsula casinos remain closed

Not only are Detroit’s three casinos closed, but none of the 12 tribal casinos in the Lower Peninsula have announced their reopening dates.

There are several casinos in Michigan including FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Four Winds Casinos with three locations in Dowagiac, Hartford, and New Buffalo, Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown, Little River Casino and Resort in Manistee, Odawa Casinos with two locations in Mackinaw City and Petoskey, Saganing Eagles Landing Casino in Standish, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, and Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel in Williamsburg.

The general manager of Odawa, Ron Olson, posted a notice on the website acknowledging Governor Whitmer’s shutdown order until May 28. The notice stated that Odawa will comply with the order and continue to remain closed until further instructions are given.

On Friday, Bear Lake Highlands in Bear Lake, a golf course belonging to the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, who also own the renowned Little River casino, officially opened its doors.

Can you please rephrase that for me?