• Cedar Lake Casino Hotel and Event Center. 6268 Upper Cass Frontage Road NW. Cass Lake, MN 56633.
• OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. – The White Earth Nation said Friday that it plans to build a casino on the shore of Star Lake in Otter Tail County, though not all residents in the out-of-the-way.

A view of Star Lake in Minnesota. Photo from Star Lake Property Owner's Association

The White Earth Nation continues to face questions about a proposed gaming facility in Star Lake, Minnesota. Residents packed a community meeting on March 30 to discuss the project. Many were concerned about the size of the casino -- which includes a hotel, a 10,000 square-foot conference center and a 6,000 square-foot indoor/outdoor pool and spa -- given the rural nature of Star Lake. “We tried to blend the northwoods feel and not present ourselves as a Las Vegas-style casino,' Bill Marsh, the general manager of the Shooting Star Casino said at the meeting, The Detroit Lakes Tribune reported. 'Our focus is on the resort-type living. That’s the type of the facility we are trying to design.” The tribe owns 14.5 acres of trust land at the lake. The tribe has since purchased adjoining properties and now owns a total of 270 acres there, according to Otter Tail County.
The Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota. Photo from Facebook

List of casinos in the U.S. State of Minnesota; Casino City County State District Type Comments Black Bear Casino Resort: External links. Media related to Casinos in Minnesota at Wikimedia Commons.

The tribe operates one Shooting Star location in Mahnomen and is building a second one near the communities of Bagley and Ebro. Both sites are located on the main reservation Star Lake is about 39 miles from the southern border of the reservation. The tribe maintains a cultural connection to the area, which has been used for traditional ricing activities. The land was placed in trust prior to 1988 but an exact date hasn't been reported in the Minnesota media. The Class III gaming compact authorizes gaming at any site on the reservation as well as additional 'Indian lands' under the tribe's jurisdiction. The Star Lake site presumably falls under the definition of 'Indian lands' in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The casino could open sometime in 2017. Get the Story:
Shooting Star Casino meeting draws large crowd in Dent (The Detroit Lakes Tribune 4/16) White Earth Nation breaks ground on second gaming facility (11/16)
White Earth Nation plans hotel and RV park at third casino site (10/09)
White Earth Nation outlines plan for yet another gaming facility (09/28)
White Earth Nation linked to land buys at potential casino site (9/25)
White Earth Nation considers plan for yet another gaming facility (9/24) A view of Star Lake in Minnesota. Photo from Star Lake Property Owner's Association

A land management company linked to the White Earth Nation has purchased 230 acres for a potential casino in Star Lake, a small community in Minnesota. The 'Central Minnesota Land Company' purchased 218 acres for $1.95 million earlier this month, the Star Lake Township said on its website on Thursday. Another 12.3 acres of shoreline sold for $350,000. The tribe hasn't confirmed the land buys. But the contact for the company is Joe Plumer -- one of the tribe's attorneys.

'Where there's smoke there's fire it would seem, so something's definitely afoot,' resident Lee Mindemann, who was is worried about the potential development, told WDAY.

Tribal leaders discussed plans for a new casino in February. The tribe redacts personnel and other sensitive information from its council minutes. Image from White Earth Nation

Minutes from a council meeting in February show a discussion about a potential casino. But several key pieces of information are redacted in the PDF that was posted online by the tribe. However, opening up the document in a software program and performing a search shows that tribal leaders talked about a casino at 'Star Lake' in 'Ottertail County.' One person at the meeting even said 'Ottertail is very pro-business and interested in development in the area.' The Star Lake Township posted the unredacted version on its website. Star Lake is not located within the boundaries of the tribe's main reservation. But Plumer 'stated there would be no issues at this location as it is trust land status,' according to the minutes. He is referring to the 12 acres that are already held in trust for the tribe at the lake.
The Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota. Photo from Facebook

Star Lake Mn Casino Plans Prices

The tribe operates the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen and is building a second one near Bagley and Ebro. Both sites are located on the main reservation. There is no guarantee that the tribe will pursue the Star Lake casino. But the February minutes also contain a redaction that refers to 'Bagley/Ebro' and the tribe formally announced that project last month. Get the Story:
Clues point to possible White Earth casino planned on Star Lake (WDAY 9/24) White Earth Nation considers plan for yet another gaming facility (9/24)
White Earth Nation prepares to break ground on second casino (08/18)
White Earth Nation to announce plan for second gaming facility (08/06)
White Earth Nation promotes tribal members in casino positions (04/24)

Star Lake Mn Casino Plans For Sale

White Earth Nation receives permit for biomass power at casino (07/07)
White Earth Band launches sustainability program at casino (11/15)
White Earth Band celebrates 20th birthday of gaming facility (05/15)

Star Lake Casino