Indiana Tribal Gaming

In May 2021, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians finalized a Class III gaming compact with the state of Indiana. The agreement green-lighted the tribe to transform its South Bend Four Winds Casino into a full-fledged Class III gaming operation, complete with slot machines, most card games, ball and dice games. Previously, the casino could only offer electronic gaming machines.

Under the terms of the compact, the tribe shares 10% of its slots revenue with the state and local government. The compact runs for 20 years, with renewals every 10 years after that.

The Pokagon Band is based in southwest Michigan, but calls the area of Northern Indiana as part of its ancestral homelands. The tribe gained federal recognition through an act of Congress in 1994, which established its sovereign reservation in Michigan. The legislation also authorized the Interior Department to place land into trust for the tribe in certain counties in Indiana because of its historical ties to the area.

The 166-acre plot in South Bend was approved by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs in November 2016.

As of November 2022, three of Indiana's casinos were owned by Native American tribes. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians operates Four Winds Casino South Bend. The other two that are owned by Native American Tribes, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana and Caesars Southern Indiana, operate under commercial licenses and are regulated by the Indiana Gaming Commission.