02 October 2026
Michigan's casino market is heating up in new ways as Little River Casino Resort pulls out all the stops to defend its Manistee stronghold. The resort is pouring millions into property upgrades and has a deal with BetRivers that's starting to pay off - just as a new competitor may be looming nearby.
The intersection of land-based and online gaming is accelerating across the country, and Michigan is proving to be a bellwether. Michigan's online casino revenue surged 27.1% to a record $221.4 million in 2024, even as operators have opened new retail sportsbooks alongside seasoned properties like Little River.
Little River Casino Resort, locally known as Little River, has been a community cornerstone in Manistee since 1999. The casino has contributed over $40 million in revenue sharing payments to the Manistee County Local Revenue Sharing Board, and the Mirror Lake Blvd casino has powered the host Little River Band of Ottawa Indians economically.
Yet even as the resort has shifted into online gaming through BetRivers, nearby competition may intensify in the coming years. A proposed casino in Benzonia tentatively named Crystal Shores Casino could draw away Manistee customers as soon as 2026. As the Michigan market matures, tribal and commercial operators are courting local demand through new land-based investments and digital partnerships.
The latest Wolverine casino development:
a $78 million mixed-use project to be called the Spirit of the Woods and anchored by a hotel in Downtown Manistee.
The $33 million first phase, set to begin in September 2025 and be built over two-to-three years, calls for:
- 100- to 120-room hotel
- Multi-purpose event center
- Welcome center
- Marketplace with retail and dining
- Business incubator for local entrepreneurs
More on this is available via Extra-Betting.
Little River Holdings, the tribe's gaming arm, estimates 145 permanent jobs and 300 construction jobs. Manistee's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has approved tax increment financing, and Little River has agreed to payment agreements.
A Hotel and Casino Expansion in Manistee?
The resort has undergone major upgrades in recent years, including a gaming floor and dining renovation that wrapped up in early 2025. Little River has also expanded its sportsbook operation and partnered with BetRivers to compete in Michigan's online gaming market.
An even larger event center or hotel expansion may eventually strengthen Little River's position in Manistee tourism, according to an industry source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The source cautions that the result depends not only on Little River's moves but how Manistee City and Manistee County DDA navigate tax sharing and development incentives.
Meanwhile, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Wisconsin could strengthen its position in the regional casino market.
The property, 100 miles north of Manistee, recently finalized revenue share agreements with local governments to complement its hotel upgrades.
Little River can't ignore the potential for new regional competition, given residents' preferences for local gaming options from nearby casinos in western Michigan and tribal operations in Muskegon County.
