Shakopee Tribe Provides Funding for Casino Expansion in South Dakota

A loan and grant package totaling $4 million to the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota will fund upgrades to their Royal River Casino and a new community center, the SMSC said in a news release.

Of the $3 million loan, $2 million will go toward upgrading the tribe’s casino. In 2011 the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe (FSST) negotiated a new compact with the state of South Dakota which allows them to add 250 additional class III slot machines to their casino, for a total of 500 gaming devices. SMSC funds will be used to purchase new slot machines, bases, chairs, software, surveillance cameras, signage, landscaping, and information technology upgrades. 

The Royal River complex features a casino, a 300 seat entertainment and conference center, a 120 room hotel with an indoor swimming pool, a full service restaurant, buffet, snack bar, lounge, and an adjacent RV park. Since the FSST currently has no facility to house community events and gatherings, $1 million of the SMSC loan and a $1 million grant for fiscal year 2012 will be used for this project. 

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Indian Reservation is comprised of 2,500 acres of land located along and near the Big Sioux River in Moody County, South Dakota. Over the past 16 years, the SMSC has donated more than $229.3 million to Indian Tribes, charitable organizations, schools, and Native American organizations. The SMSC has also made more than $396 million in loans to other tribes for economic development projects.