Gun Lake Casino Reopens After Michigan Blizzard Conditions Improve

Posted on: December 26, 2022, 09:59h. 

Last updated on: December 26, 2022, 02:58h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

UPDATE: Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in New York State remains closed on Monday due to winter weather conditions. The region saw the deaths of 25 or more people due to a blizzard. Some 43 inches of snow fell in the area.

EARLIER: Michigan’s Gun Lake Casino reopened on Sunday following a two-day closure because of extreme winter weather.

Gun Lake Casino as seen in December 2021
Gun Lake Casino, as seen in December 2021. The tribal casino was forced to close for two days by extreme weather. (Image: Gun Lake Casino)

The Wayland, Mich. casino shuttered at 7 p.m. on Friday and reopened at 10 a.m. on Christmas Day. The decision to close the casino came after severe weather struck Western Michigan.

“The safety of guests and team members is the top priority due to the blizzard-like conditions present throughout the region,” the casino explained in a statement.

The nasty weather in Western Michigan improved slightly on Saturday night. But snow continued to fall late on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day.

Wind gusts lessened to 10 to 20 mph. By Sunday night the winds became calmer.

The prior winds and snowfall were just too dangerous to keep the tribal casino open.

Gun Lake Casino is located off of Exit 61 on US Route 131. It is about halfway between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.

Because of the storm, large sections of Route 131 were closed. Would-be guests and casino employees were encouraged to stay at home until road conditions and visibility improved.

Promotional drawings planned at the casino for the weekend will be rescheduled.

Gun Lake Casino is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians.

National Impact

The winter weather was a continuing problem for much of the nation. Many flights were impacted.

Nationally, by 9 a.m. ET on Monday, more than 1,575 flights were canceled. Some 1,875 flights were delayed.

More disruptions are likely later today, with travelers trying to make their way home or to another location via the air despite winter weather and frigid temperatures.

On Sunday, there were 3,178 canceled flights and 6,870 delays nationally, CNN reported.

On Christmas Eve, 3,487 flights were canceled nationally. Friday had 5,934 cancellations. On Thursday, there were almost 2,700 cancellations.

The airports with the most cancellations include Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Denver International Airport, Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Chicago Midway International Airport.

Las Vegas Flights

Airline passengers flying to or from Las Vegas keep on facing canceled and delayed flights. By 6 a.m. PT Monday, there were already 68 delayed flights and 90 canceled flights at Harry Reid International Airport, FlightAware, a flight tracking site, reported.

As the week continues, hazardous winter weather is expected to ease. Winds will lessen and temperatures will rise. That should help travelers boarding flights between now and New Year’s Day.

Still, Monday and Tuesday are expected to be the busiest days this week at some airports, CBS reported. Some travel experts warn passengers to instead take flights on Wednesday or Thursday, the report added.

Nationally, some 54 million passengers are expected to fly between last week and January 3. That’s according to Hopper.com, a provider of a popular travel app. That number is 20% higher than the same period last Christmas season.