Bay Mills was the first United States gaming facility owned by a Native American tribe to include slots and blackjack games instead of just bingo.
Kings Club Casino opened up in July 1984 as part of the Bay Mills Blackjack Casino.
It was a 7,500 square foot casino that included a cafe and billiard tables.
However, back in March 2020, the casino was forced to close due to the COVID pandemic.
It never reopened.
To lift as you climb
Enter the focus on improving the other casino on the Bay Mills Reservation.
Eleven years after Kings Club Casino opened up, Bay Mills Resort and Casino greeted its first customers in 1995.
And now, nearly three decades later, it is going through a major overhaul.
The project was introduced to the Bay Mills Community's Tribal Council in September, 2022 with overwhelming support to move ahead.
Groundbreaking for the $100 million project took place last month with the general public, several tribal members and dignitaries attending the ceremony.
The three-story waterfront resort expansion will nearly double the existing key count, with the addition of 134 rooms with balconies.
New amenities will also include a pool with splash pad, hot tubs, spa with massage therapy rooms and fitness center, a nail salon, conference space, arcade, storefront and a deli.
The outside of the resort will also have improvements including new outdoor patios and gazebos, gardens and fishing piers, a boardwalk along the waterfront, as well as an updated marina.
"It was ignited by a conversation of how we can do more and be more at Bay Mills Indian Community. We have been developing this idea of Destination Bay Mills because we know just how beautiful and wonderful the community is," said Whitney Graville, President of the Bay Mills Indian Community.
The resort and casino will be open through the project.
Graville said they hope to have it completed by fall of 2025.
"This is a huge investment for our community and I only know it is going to bring greater prosperity to everyone involved. One of my favorite quotes is 'to lift as you climb'. That's exactly what this project is going to be doing. We will be lifting up our community, our employees, our tribal citizens and the rest of the Eastern Upper Peninsula," concluded Graville.
