The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and Four Winds Casinos proudly announced the opening of their first-ever sportsbook, available at Four Winds Casinos locations in New Buffalo, Dowagiac and Hartford. They marked the occasion by welcoming Chicago Bears football legend, Super Bowl Champion and ESPN personality Steve “Mongo” McMichael to Four Winds New Buffalo, where he was invited to place the first bet.
“I've got a $20 bill here and it’s my pleasure to make the first bet here at Four Wind Casinos New Buffalo - $20 on the Bears to win the Superbowl this season, which means that the casino’s going to make some money with its first bet right here,” joked McMichael. “The Bears are 20-1 to win.”
Looking around the casino, McMichael was impressed with everything Four Winds Casino New Buffalo has to offer.
“This place is a shining star. I feel like I just walked into a Las Vegas casino. This place has glamour… it’s really nice here,” he said.
Made possible due to a partnership with Kambi Group, Plc., a leading global sports betting supplier, the new sportsbook allows guests to place wagers on all their favorite sports, including football, baseball, hockey, soccer, and more at the Four Winds Casinos locations.
Frank Freedman, COO of Four Winds Casinos, said the decision to go partner with Kambi was due to the ease and convenience that partnership would add to the casino. “One of the reasons we partnered with Kambi is to simplify the wagering process through its Bring-Your-Own-Device program, which will enable guests to use their smartphones to start the betting process,” Freedman said.
That process allows guests to use their phone cameras to scan a QR code, which will in turn redirect them to the Four Winds betting website. After making their bets, guests will then be given a new QR code, which they will then bring to the Sportsbook counters at participating Four Winds Casinos locations. There, the QR code will be scanned and the bets placed.
Guests also are welcome to place their bets at one of 18 kiosks located at Four Winds New Buffalo, or at one of the six kiosks located at either Four Winds Hartford or Four Winds Dowagiac. All kiosks will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In addition to the app and kiosks, Four Winds New Buffalo also has a betting counter with four windows, where guests can place bets in person and receive payouts from winning sports wagers. Four Winds Dowagiac and Hartford each have one betting window available at their cashiers cage.
Four Winds Casinos recently reopened following a temporary closure to combat COVID-19. During the closure, the casino developed a comprehensive suite of features and protocols, all designed to keep guests safe while visiting the casino. Freedman said that public response to the changes has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We’re really pleased. We’ve had great participation, and we’re seeing even higher numbers of guests than we had anticipated, which is a very good thing,” Freedman said. “People come here, they see that we have created an extremely safe, clean environment for them to come and enjoy themselves, and they are happy to come back.”
Matthew Wesaw, Tribal Council Chairman and CEO of the Pokagon Gaming Authority, said sportsbook betting is a welcome addition to the casinos’ already impressive list of amenities.
“We are very excited that we now offer sports betting as part of our growing list of amenities at our casino locations in Michigan,” Wesaw said.
For more information about Four Winds Casinos, visit them online at https://www.fourwindscasino.com/newbuffalo/
