The largest land-based casino in Saskatchewan will soon be larger.
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Dakota Dunes Casino opened its doors in 2007, as part of Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Currently 80,000 square feet, it’s adding 12,000 more gaming floor. Plans are also in place to build new food and beverage spaces and a new high-limit table-game area.
The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) last week unveiled the plans with a sod-turning ceremony. Representatives from Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Saskatoon Tribal Council, and SIGA attended the event.
“This expansion of the Dakota Dunes Casino will be timely as we construct the Dakota Dunes Thermal Spa on the resort side of the property,” said Whitecap Dakota Nation Chief Darcy Bear at the expansion announcement held at Dakota Dunes Casino. “All of these enhancements will only further increase the number of visitors and position the property as the premier destination resort in the province.”
SIGA, which launched in 1996, operates seven casinos in the province with slot machines, live and electronic table games, live entertainment, an array of lounges and restaurants, and the online gaming website PlayNow.com, the only legally operated online-gaming and sports-betting site in Saskatchewan. Dakota Dunes Casino is one of those properties.
SIGA reinvests all net revenue back into the province: 50 percent to the First Nations Trust (distributed to the 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan), 25 percent to Community Development Corporations that reinvest money into local community initiatives, and 25 percent to the General Revenue Fund.
“Expanding the casino is a good thing for First Nation employment,” said Saskatoon Tribal Council Tribal Chief Mark Arcand. “Dakota Dunes Casino is already a major First Nation employer with over 74 percent of its more than 300 employees being First Nation, and with the expansion comes growth, and the potential to create even more job opportunities.”
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