Potawatomi Hotel and Casino Plans $100M Renovation of Milwaukee Venue

Posted on: May 10, 2022, 04:58h. 

Last updated on: May 10, 2022, 11:49h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

The Potawatomi Hotel and Casino revealed Monday it will invest $100 million to renovate the Milwaukee destination’s third floor.

Potawatomi Milwaukee
An exterior shot of the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee. On Monday, the casino, operated by the Forest County Potawatomi, announced plans to invest $100 million and upgrade the casino’s third floor. (Image: Potawatomi Hotel and Casino)

The casino, operated by the Forest County Potawatomi, will make upgrades to more than 120,000 square feet of the 30-year-old facility. One of the highlights will be a new high-limit gaming room, which will also feature an upscale bar, a stage, and a brick-oven gourmet kitchen.

The entire floor will house 1,800 slot machines. A new bar will open, and it will include bar-top games – a first for the casino.

In a statement, CEO and General Manager Dominic Ortiz said the Potawatomi casino team understands the need to make changes that meet guests’ needs and expectations.

Not only will this elevate the brand, it will further our long-standing status as the premier entertainment destination in the region as the market becomes significantly more competitive,” Ortiz said. “This is just the beginning. Additional exciting changes and new amenities are in store.”

The Milwaukee casino is about 55 miles north of Waukegan, Ill., where Full House Resorts has received a license to operate American Place, a commercial casino. The Las Vegas-based company plans to spend $350 million on an upscale resort casino just south of the Wisconsin state line. That project will include villas and a four-star hotel. A temporary casino is expected to open later this year.

The renovations at the Potawatomi casino are expected to be complete by next spring.

Potawatomi Casino Eatery a Chef’s KISS

Besides upgrades in gaming areas, the Potawatomi casino is also adding new food service options to its third floor. That includes a full-service Starbucks, which will offer food along with its coffee drinks.

The casino also plans to open three “quick service” options where patrons can go to eat or have food delivered to their gaming station.

But the highlight of the new dining options will be a Rock & Brews restaurant, a chain established by KISS musicians Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. The Potawatomi casino will be the latest gaming venture for the brand. A Rock & Brews Casino is slated to open Tuesday in Braman, Okla., located near the Kansas state line roughly 50 miles south of Wichita, Kan., and about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City.

A groundbreaking for the Potawatomi Rock & Brews restaurant is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon Stanley and Simmons are expected to attend.

“Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin has been home to the Potawatomi for hundreds of years, and this project is another example of how we are continuing to invest in and better the communities that we call home,” said Forest County Potawatomi Chairman Ned Daniels, Jr. “We are excited to bring these new experiences to our guests and to continue our role as the top entertainment destination in Wisconsin.”

Sports Betting Likely Coming, Too

The $100 million casino renovation is just one of the changes in store for the Milwaukee casino.

In February, Forest County Potawatomi leaders and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced they reached an agreement to amend their Class III gaming compact and allow sports betting at the casino. The tribe also operates a casino in Northern Wisconsin, roughly 65 miles northwest of Green Bay.

That amendment needs to be approved by the US Department of the Interior.