Four Winds is something of an early adopter among tribal operators, having offered free-to-play gaming as far back as 2015, and was among the first wave of sports betting launches in Michigan. Ahead of his speaking slot at Sports Betting USA Digital, senior vice president of casino operations Frank Kennedy explains how the operator has carved out a path in the expanding US gaming market.
– In order to help combat the spread of COVID-19, the Pokagon Gaming Authority is deciding to extend the closings of all its Four Winds Casino locations until further notice. See posts, photos and more on Facebook.
The 'Roll To Win' craps table currently in use at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, though, is anything but normal. Finding something that stands out in the table gaming area Craps tables are standard in the sense people stand around them, and there is a tub area for placing bets and shooting dice. Four Winds Casinos revealed all of the changes visitors can expect when they reopen Monday. The casino is asking everyone to wear a mask inside and they will operate at 50 percent capacity.
In a state with a significant tribal gaming presence, Michigan Representative Brandt Iden faced a particularly tricky task in crafting legislation that would benefit both the Native American operators and the commercial casinos in Detroit.
The resulting bills ultimately offered tribes and commercial businesses a degree of parity rarely seen in state gambling markets.
And the tribes have embraced the opportunity, according to Frank Kennedy (pictured left), senior vice president of casino operations at Four Winds Casino, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi's gaming brand that runs properties in New Buffalo, Dowagiac and Hartford.
Kennedy admits that there was some concerns among tribes that the licensing requirements for sports betting would benefit the (already licensed) commercial venues. This, however, has been tackled by a tenet stating online gaming could not launch until at least one tribe was ready.
Around a dozen are now likely to roll out online betting and gaming when given the go-ahead, he says.
Of course, the roll-out of igaming and online wagering is still to take place, and Kennedy says Four Winds could be taking bets 'in the next few months'. But right now, the core focus is sports betting.
Soft launch
Four Winds took its first bets on July 13, and Kennedy says it was a 'soft launch', in every respect.
'I don't know what we should have expected, if we were not in the midst of Covid-19 and the disruption to sports,' he says. 'However if you look at our performance compared to our Indiana competitors, they have retail and online, and in retail we're doing very well in comparison.'
The biggest challenge, clearly was that the July launch came at a time when the major leagues were suspended due to the pandemic, leaving the Kambi-powered sportsbook dependent on international sports and motor racing.
Things did not really 'kick in' until Major League Baseball returned, with significant spikes in the past two months when the National Football League and college football seasons began.
While the partnership with Kambi was not announced until early July, the agreement was years in the making, Kennedy reveals, with a request for proposals published two years ago.
'We knew online legislation was coming,' he says. 'We put out our RFP to find our retail and online sports betting operators, [but] among our requirements was for a partner we would not be directly competing against in our retail casinos.'
This, he said, immediately ruled out all operators that run properties which directly compete against Four Winds in Michigan and Indiana.
'Anyone who had that brick and mortar operation was not what we were looking for,' he says.
Kambi, however, fit the bill of a provider that could handle the operational and technology components, leaving Four Winds to handle the marketing, distribution and product range.
Early adopter
With a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in many areas of the US, Kennedy admits that the igaming launch could be an important component in any land-based operator's product offering, as something that will engage customers unwilling to return to the physical venues.
While its marketing department would be heavily promoting its online offering in normal circumstances, the pandemic places greater emphasis on the channel to attract casual patrons.
Avid gamblers have continued to 'play through' various challenges and restrictions – such as masks, dividers between gaming spots, a smoking ban, limited dining options and no entertainment – but it's the casual players that have stayed away.
It's not entirely new to the channel; after all, it has operated a free-to-play casino product as far back as 2015.
'[We] saw it as an opportunity to learn because other states were discussing online gaming, and we like to take a look a things before we ‘need' to have them,' Kennedy says of the social product. 'We saw that it would be something we would likely have at some point in the future – though we didn't know whether it'd be one year, two years, or ten years away.' What is the legal gambling age in las vegas.
He says by running a social casino, Four Winds had the opportunity to get comfortable promoting an online product, adapt to the challenges it created, and let customers play games from the casino floor online.
'It has also allowed our marketing department to test how best to speak to these players. Social provided a platform for trial and error without the fear of exposing casino revenues.'
This, he argues, means Four Winds is well-prepared for the real-money roll-out. This will be powered by Pala Interactive, the Pala Band of Mission Indians' B2B gaming business.
Level playing field
Much of this, of course, is down to Michigan offering a 'very fair' playing field, in which tribal and commercial entities have worked towards a shared goal, Kennedy adds.
'The process has been inclusive, with multiple meetings between the state and the tribes,' he says.
This appears to have helped bypass many of the potential pitfalls that other jurisdictions have faced in developing a regulatory framework that benefits both sectors of the land-based industry. In other states, this has largely created systems in which the commercial businesses can lead, and tribes are forced to follow.
This has led to some discussions over Native American gaming operators exercising sovereignty to expand the product range without state approval – though Kennedy notes he is not aware of any 'significant advancements' to that end.
'In our situation we didn't have to get into those conversations because we already had tribal gaming and commercial legislation,' he adds.
And it needn't necessarily stop at Michigan's borders. After all, Four Winds operates a Class II facility in neighbouring Indiana, and if that is redeveloped as a Class III property, there will be significant scope for expansion.
'That decision is for our tribal government to decide but we will be ready when and if it becomes possible,' Kennedy says.
Frank Kennedy will be speaking at this year's Sports Betting USA Digital, on the Tribal sports betting moves digital session on the first day of the event, this Thursday (November 12). Register here for a chance to hear from Frank, and a host of other leading experts in tribal and commercial gaming, as well as lawmakers, sports executives and media giants.
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In an area where green felt is the norm, blue immediately stands out, even at a distance.
Upon closer examination, there is the discovery the tub is not felt, but a computer-generated display. There is the oddity of not seeing chips placed anywhere, and the visual stimulation of bright LED lights at first glance is a jarring contrast to the softer colors painted on that green felt representing bet types and combinations.
It looks like a normal craps table, patrons stand and place bets like a normal craps table, and it plays like a normal craps table — complete with live dice shooters. The 'Roll To Win' craps table currently in use at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, though, is anything but normal.
Finding something that stands out in the table gaming area
Craps tables are standard in the sense people stand around them, and there is a tub area for placing bets and shooting dice. One other fact about craps tables is they are designed to stand the test of time. Four Winds Vice President of Table Games Chris Schneider estimated a typical table has a shelf life of 20 to 25 years unless the design is changed.
And what he saw in Las Vegas in 2018 most certainly was a change in design.
'(Roll To Win) was showcased at the Gaming Convention in Las Vegas,' said Schneider, offering the origin story of how the table came to be at Four Winds. 'They had a prototype and we wanted one immediately, but it took a while. We placed a card and we were the third property nationally to have one.'
'At Aruze, we created Roll To Win craps and it's the most successful electronic table game in the market,' said Laura Sims, manager of product management and sales promotion with Aruze Gaming. 'As a company, there is a strong history with craps as a concept overall. We also have leadership that is passionate about craps and the concept of bringing craps into the new century, making it exciting for younger players.'
Seeing it at a convention is one thing. Acquiring one for Four Winds was another. The two sides reached agreement on a lease deal in 2019, but the casino did not have 'Roll To Win' on the gaming floor until January. Schneider then went through a series of aesthetic trial and errors in order to find what worked best for both dealers and patrons.
'We just took advantage of the very extensive visual excitement,' Schneider said. 'It was very exciting to try the different colors. I'm a traditionalist and preferred green (for the tub), but after the first two days we discovered the blue layout was pleasing for dealers and guests.'
The table was a quick success story for craps players of all skill levels upon its introduction. Schneider noted high rollers will occasionally reserve half or the whole table in the early hours of the morning for solo runs, and the touch screens help 'tailor make it to personal betting styles.'
Those touch screens, according to Nathaniel Holt, Aruze Gaming America's Director of Sales, help broaden the appeal of craps to newer players.
'Players like the anonymity of playing the game,' he explained. 'There's still a social aspect, but where they're betting, their strategy is in front of them and they're shunting out what other players are doing. (Other) players don't know how much you're betting.'
Craps in a time of social distancing
A craps table arguably has the most frenzy and public emotional reactions among patrons at table games during normal times, creating one such intimidation factor. A second one unexpectedly came with casinos dealing with novel social distancing rules upon reopening after being shuttered for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There can be as many as 10 total people at a typical table at 50% capacity when counting employees, but 'Roll To Win' allows pit bosses to run a table with only one dealer. Additionally, the ability to control access to the terminals provides an easy method of enacting social distancing. Best online casino signup bonus.
'With the terminals, it's similar to slots,' Schneider said, 'and we can shut down terminals and encourage players to use proper spacing.
'I don't know what we should have expected, if we were not in the midst of Covid-19 and the disruption to sports,' he says. 'However if you look at our performance compared to our Indiana competitors, they have retail and online, and in retail we're doing very well in comparison.'
The biggest challenge, clearly was that the July launch came at a time when the major leagues were suspended due to the pandemic, leaving the Kambi-powered sportsbook dependent on international sports and motor racing.
Things did not really 'kick in' until Major League Baseball returned, with significant spikes in the past two months when the National Football League and college football seasons began.
While the partnership with Kambi was not announced until early July, the agreement was years in the making, Kennedy reveals, with a request for proposals published two years ago.
'We knew online legislation was coming,' he says. 'We put out our RFP to find our retail and online sports betting operators, [but] among our requirements was for a partner we would not be directly competing against in our retail casinos.'
This, he said, immediately ruled out all operators that run properties which directly compete against Four Winds in Michigan and Indiana.
'Anyone who had that brick and mortar operation was not what we were looking for,' he says.
Kambi, however, fit the bill of a provider that could handle the operational and technology components, leaving Four Winds to handle the marketing, distribution and product range.
Early adopter
With a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in many areas of the US, Kennedy admits that the igaming launch could be an important component in any land-based operator's product offering, as something that will engage customers unwilling to return to the physical venues.
While its marketing department would be heavily promoting its online offering in normal circumstances, the pandemic places greater emphasis on the channel to attract casual patrons.
Avid gamblers have continued to 'play through' various challenges and restrictions – such as masks, dividers between gaming spots, a smoking ban, limited dining options and no entertainment – but it's the casual players that have stayed away.
It's not entirely new to the channel; after all, it has operated a free-to-play casino product as far back as 2015.
'[We] saw it as an opportunity to learn because other states were discussing online gaming, and we like to take a look a things before we ‘need' to have them,' Kennedy says of the social product. 'We saw that it would be something we would likely have at some point in the future – though we didn't know whether it'd be one year, two years, or ten years away.' What is the legal gambling age in las vegas.
He says by running a social casino, Four Winds had the opportunity to get comfortable promoting an online product, adapt to the challenges it created, and let customers play games from the casino floor online.
'It has also allowed our marketing department to test how best to speak to these players. Social provided a platform for trial and error without the fear of exposing casino revenues.'
This, he argues, means Four Winds is well-prepared for the real-money roll-out. This will be powered by Pala Interactive, the Pala Band of Mission Indians' B2B gaming business.
Level playing field
Much of this, of course, is down to Michigan offering a 'very fair' playing field, in which tribal and commercial entities have worked towards a shared goal, Kennedy adds.
'The process has been inclusive, with multiple meetings between the state and the tribes,' he says.
This appears to have helped bypass many of the potential pitfalls that other jurisdictions have faced in developing a regulatory framework that benefits both sectors of the land-based industry. In other states, this has largely created systems in which the commercial businesses can lead, and tribes are forced to follow.
This has led to some discussions over Native American gaming operators exercising sovereignty to expand the product range without state approval – though Kennedy notes he is not aware of any 'significant advancements' to that end.
'In our situation we didn't have to get into those conversations because we already had tribal gaming and commercial legislation,' he adds.
And it needn't necessarily stop at Michigan's borders. After all, Four Winds operates a Class II facility in neighbouring Indiana, and if that is redeveloped as a Class III property, there will be significant scope for expansion.
'That decision is for our tribal government to decide but we will be ready when and if it becomes possible,' Kennedy says.
Frank Kennedy will be speaking at this year's Sports Betting USA Digital, on the Tribal sports betting moves digital session on the first day of the event, this Thursday (November 12). Register here for a chance to hear from Frank, and a host of other leading experts in tribal and commercial gaming, as well as lawmakers, sports executives and media giants.
Related Articles
Against the grain
Casino Michigan New Buffalo
While there has been widespread evidence of operators and suppliers bringing in digital expertise to complement their land-based know-how, there are few examples of travel…
State of the Union: Canada, Michigan, New Jersey and more
This week's State of the Union, in partnership with Segev LLP, includes efforts to introduce single-event wagering in Canada, January sports betting and igaming revenue…
Discover more
In an area where green felt is the norm, blue immediately stands out, even at a distance.
Upon closer examination, there is the discovery the tub is not felt, but a computer-generated display. There is the oddity of not seeing chips placed anywhere, and the visual stimulation of bright LED lights at first glance is a jarring contrast to the softer colors painted on that green felt representing bet types and combinations.
It looks like a normal craps table, patrons stand and place bets like a normal craps table, and it plays like a normal craps table — complete with live dice shooters. The 'Roll To Win' craps table currently in use at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, though, is anything but normal.
Finding something that stands out in the table gaming area
Craps tables are standard in the sense people stand around them, and there is a tub area for placing bets and shooting dice. One other fact about craps tables is they are designed to stand the test of time. Four Winds Vice President of Table Games Chris Schneider estimated a typical table has a shelf life of 20 to 25 years unless the design is changed.
And what he saw in Las Vegas in 2018 most certainly was a change in design.
'(Roll To Win) was showcased at the Gaming Convention in Las Vegas,' said Schneider, offering the origin story of how the table came to be at Four Winds. 'They had a prototype and we wanted one immediately, but it took a while. We placed a card and we were the third property nationally to have one.'
'At Aruze, we created Roll To Win craps and it's the most successful electronic table game in the market,' said Laura Sims, manager of product management and sales promotion with Aruze Gaming. 'As a company, there is a strong history with craps as a concept overall. We also have leadership that is passionate about craps and the concept of bringing craps into the new century, making it exciting for younger players.'
Seeing it at a convention is one thing. Acquiring one for Four Winds was another. The two sides reached agreement on a lease deal in 2019, but the casino did not have 'Roll To Win' on the gaming floor until January. Schneider then went through a series of aesthetic trial and errors in order to find what worked best for both dealers and patrons.
'We just took advantage of the very extensive visual excitement,' Schneider said. 'It was very exciting to try the different colors. I'm a traditionalist and preferred green (for the tub), but after the first two days we discovered the blue layout was pleasing for dealers and guests.'
The table was a quick success story for craps players of all skill levels upon its introduction. Schneider noted high rollers will occasionally reserve half or the whole table in the early hours of the morning for solo runs, and the touch screens help 'tailor make it to personal betting styles.'
Those touch screens, according to Nathaniel Holt, Aruze Gaming America's Director of Sales, help broaden the appeal of craps to newer players.
'Players like the anonymity of playing the game,' he explained. 'There's still a social aspect, but where they're betting, their strategy is in front of them and they're shunting out what other players are doing. (Other) players don't know how much you're betting.'
Craps in a time of social distancing
A craps table arguably has the most frenzy and public emotional reactions among patrons at table games during normal times, creating one such intimidation factor. A second one unexpectedly came with casinos dealing with novel social distancing rules upon reopening after being shuttered for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There can be as many as 10 total people at a typical table at 50% capacity when counting employees, but 'Roll To Win' allows pit bosses to run a table with only one dealer. Additionally, the ability to control access to the terminals provides an easy method of enacting social distancing. Best online casino signup bonus.
'With the terminals, it's similar to slots,' Schneider said, 'and we can shut down terminals and encourage players to use proper spacing.
'We were fortunate enough to watch other casinos (open) prior to us and learn trends. We did see them shy away from plexiglass on table games. Some when offered the choice, gravitated to non-plexiglass where there's no shield in front of the table.'
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One other benefit of 'Roll To Win' — patrons and dealers are not handling chips, which lowers common touch points between the two groups.
A happy match with no signs of slowing down
Both parties also pointed out how 'Roll To Win' helps pace of play. Schneider noted the average table has '60 to 70 rolls per hour,' but it can also slow down to '35 to 40 when a table is hot and a lot of bets are placed.' Sims pointed out the touch screens for both patron and dealer 'lessens the time between games and rolls are faster … with a hot shooter everyone knows you want it to move fast.'
Without delving into financial specifics, Schneider said the per spot lease deal Four Winds signed is 'comparable to slot machines, and we're having good results.' Holt said Aruze Gaming will continue to only lease 'Roll To Win' as part of its financial model and has turned down offers from casinos to buy units it has proven so popular.
'It's a great product,' Schneider said. 'Kudos to Aruze.'
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