Michigan loves them some gambling

gun lake casinoGambling is alive and well and booming in Michigan. The Grand Rapids Press reported that hundreds of would-be Gun Lake Casino patrons were turned away on highways leading to the new $157M casino because the casino was already at full capacity.

To say that opening of the new 79,000-square-foot casino Gun Lake Casino was highly anticipated by residents, is an understatement. The Grand Rapids Press reported that casino staff posted on the Gun Lake Casino’s electronic sign that the 2,500 parking spaces on the premises were full. The gambling center’s capacity is 2,100 and officials said they had reached the breaking point about noon. Noon on a Friday? Doesn’t anyone work anymore?

David Frankhouser, the vice president and assistant general manager of the casino had to have been pleased with the impressive turnout. Frankhouser told the press, “Demand is extraordinary and we are excited about the public response,” Frankhouser said. “The safety of our guests comes first and therefore we are being very cautious about our judgment of building capacity.”
You have to feel for those unfortunate folks who were turned away, and you have to feel for those that waited hours in line for people to leave the casino just so they could get in. It’s no wonder why online gambling is so popular. Why wait in traffic or in line, went you can gamble online?

Of course, opening day at a brand new casino is always an exciting time, and as pleased as the Gun Lake Casino is with the turnout, nobody likes to have turn customers away. Perhaps someday they’ll have an online Gun Lake casino for those who can’t make it to the casino floor before noon on a Friday.