Gun Lake Tribe

What Gun Lake Tribe does

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, operating publicly as Gun Lake Tribe, is a federally recognized sovereign tribal government headquartered in Shelbyville, Michigan, reaffirmed to federal recognition in 1999 and governed by an elected seven-member Tribal Council. The Tribe provides a broad portfolio of governmental services to its tribal citizens through departments including Health and Human Services (Tribal Health Center, Pharmacy, Behavioral Health, Wellness), Education, Elder Services, Environmental, Tribal Historic Preservation, Language & Culture, Public Safety, Tribal Member Benefits, and Tribal Justice.

The Tribe's primary economic engine is Gun Lake Casino Resort in Wayland, Michigan, which operates 2,300 slot machines, over 50 table games, a live poker room, sportsbook, and keno, and which completed a $300 million expansion in March 2025 adding a 252-room luxury hotel (Four Diamond level), a full-service spa, meeting space, and the 32,000-square-foot Wawyé Oasis tropical atrium entertainment complex with pools, nightclub, live concert venue, and banquet facilities. The casino employs 1,500 team members across gaming, hospitality, F&B, security, and executive management, and operates multiple dining venues including Shkodé Chophouse, CBK, 131 Sportsbar & Lounge, Harvest Buffet, Lucky Dragon Noodle Bar, and Sandhill Café.

The Tribe also operates Gun Lake Investments as a non-gaming economic-development vehicle, under which Sweetgrass Moon Cafe opened in April 2026 as a direct-to-consumer concept offering Indigenous-inspired coffee, bakery, and cuisine, with farm-direct coffee sourced via partnership with One BIGG Island in Space (OBIIS). The Tribal Gaming Commission provides regulatory oversight. Revenue is generated transactionally through gaming, hotel, F&B, entertainment, and cafe sales, and is used to fund tribal government services, per-capita distributions to tribal citizens, community donations (e.g., $1.97M to Wayland Union Schools), and charitable contributions to underserved Native and West Michigan communities, with no publicly disclosed consolidated revenue figures.

Name

Gun Lake Tribe

Legal name

Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi

Website

https://gunlaketribe-nsn.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gun Lake Tribe (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi) is a federally recognized sovereign tribal government in West Michigan operating Gun Lake Casino Resort — a 2,300-slot, 252-room hotel gaming and hospitality property — alongside diversified non-gaming businesses (Sweetgrass Moon Cafe) and broad tribal government services for its citizens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Gaming and Hospitality

NAICS

Casinos (except Casino Hotels) (71321), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal/First Nations Casino Operations (MPAEAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tribal/Indigenous Casino Hotels (THAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Tribal government services
• Casino gaming operations
• Hospitality and dining
• Tribal member benefits
• Cultural preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelbyville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Gaming Operations: Gun Lake Casino Resort generates primary revenue through gaming operations including slot machines, table games, poker, sportsbook, and keno. The casino recently completed a $300 million expansion featuring a 252-room hotel, spa, and Wawyé Oasis entertainment venue.
2. Hospitality and Food & Beverage: Revenue from hotel accommodations, multiple dining venues (Shkodé Chophouse, CBK, 131 Sportsbar & Lounge, Harvest Buffet, Lucky Dragon Noodle Bar, Sandhill Café), and event spaces.
3. Cafe Operations: Sweetgrass Moon Cafe generates revenue through coffee drinks, bakery items, and entrées inspired by traditional Indigenous ingredients and foodways.
4. Tribal Government Services: Government services funded through casino revenue sharing and grants, including health services, education, housing, elder services, and cultural programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Gun Lake Tribe operates a tribal government providing governance, cultural, and member services to its citizens, while generating economic revenue primarily through its flagship enterprise, a casino resort offering gaming, lodging, dining, and entertainment to the public.

Product overview

Gun Lake Tribe operates primarily through Gun Lake Casino Resort as its core gaming and entertainment product, undergoing a major $300 million expansion that includes a 252-room luxury hotel (Four Diamond level), full-service spa, Wawyé Oasis entertainment complex, and multiple dining venues (Shkodé Chophouse, CBK, 131 Sportsbar & Lounge, Harvest Buffet, Lucky Dragon Noodle Bar, Sandhill Café). Gun Lake Investments manages non-gaming economic development including Sweetgrass Moon Cafe. The tribal government provides various community services through departments including Education, Health and Human Services, Environmental, Language & Culture, Tribal Historic Preservation, and Tribal Member Benefits. The operation is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gun Lake Casino Resort: Premier gaming and entertainment destination with hotel, spa, and multiple dining options
• Gun Lake Investments
• Tribal Gaming Commission
• Sweetgrass Moon Cafe
• Hot 'n Now
• Wawyé Oasis

Products and services

• Gun Lake Casino Resort
• Tribal Government Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.97 million in Revenue Sharing Funds contributed to local schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kalamazoo in BloomminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Partnership for the Three Sisters Garden project at Bronson Park as part of America250MI initiative. Gun Lake Tribe's Language and Culture Department and THPO collaborating on Indigenous agricultural practices.
• One BIGG Island in Space (OBIIS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Farm-direct coffee provider for Sweetgrass Moon Cafe, committed to lasting relationships with growers. Team members traveled to Chiapas, Mexico to meet farmers and experience coffee farming traditions.
• BCubed ManufacturingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2026Modular building developer that helped Gun Lake Investments launch Sweetgrass Moon Cafe and previously Hot 'n Now. Developed the modern modular building housing the cafe.
• Heart of West Michigan United WayminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Received $5,000 donation to help offset federal funding reductions for food insecurity programs. Works with over 100 organizations across Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa counties.
• Kid's Food BasketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Recipient of Gun Lake Casino charitable donations supporting food security initiatives for West Michigan residents.
• Safe Harbor Children's Advocacy CenterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Community pillar recipient of casino charitable donations supporting children and families in West Michigan.
• Michigan Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2025Partnership for annual lake sturgeon restoration and release into the Kalamazoo River. The Tribe's Environmental Department collects eggs and raises sturgeon at streamside hatchery, with DNR cooperation on conservation efforts.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2025Collaborative partner in lake sturgeon conservation and rehabilitation efforts, supporting the Tribe's reciprocal relationship with the nmé (sturgeon) as part of cultural preservation.
• Grand Valley State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2025Academic partner in lake sturgeon research and conservation project, providing scientific expertise and research support for the rehabilitation efforts.
• Wasauksing First NationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2024Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada - received $15,000 monetary donation from Gun Lake Tribe and Casino as part of annual holiday donation drive to underserved tribal communities.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FireKeepers Casino Hotel: Operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi in Battle Creek, Michigan — a fellow Michigan-based tribal casino resort with comparable gaming, hotel, and entertainment offerings competing in the same regional market.
• Four Winds Casino Resort: Operated by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians in New Buffalo, Michigan — a tribal casino resort offering gaming, hotel, dining, and entertainment in the broader Michigan market.
• Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel: Operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians in Williamsburg, Michigan — a tribal casino with hotel and dining, comparable in scale and offerings.
• Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort: Operated by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan — a major Michigan tribal casino resort with gaming, hotel, and entertainment competing for regional visitors.
• Bay Mills Resort & Casino: Operated by the Bay Mills Indian Community in Brimley, Michigan — a tribal gaming and hospitality property directly comparable in operating model to Gun Lake Casino Resort.

Broad incumbents

• Seneca Gaming Corporation: Gaming arm of the Seneca Nation of Indians operating multiple properties in western New York — comparable tribal casino and hospitality operator with regional destination properties.
• Foxwoods Resort Casino: Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation-operated mega-resort in Connecticut — directly comparable business model (tribal casino resort with hotel, dining, entertainment) at substantially larger scale.
• Mystic Lake Casino Hotel: Operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Minnesota — a tribal casino resort with hotel, dining, and entertainment offerings closely analogous to Gun Lake Casino Resort's integrated format.
• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: Operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida — one of the largest tribal gaming and hospitality operators in the U.S., offering an integrated resort experience analogous to Gun Lake's expansion model.
• Mohegan Sun: A large-scale tribal casino resort (Mohegan Tribe) in Connecticut — comparable in offering a fully integrated gaming/hospitality/entertainment experience under tribal sovereignty, though at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gunlaketribe
• Instagraminstagram.com/gunlaketribe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gun-lake-tribe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gun Lake Tribe