Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

March 1, 2021

30 Years Potawatomi Hotel & Casino - Building a Legacy

For the last 30 years Potawatomi Hotel & Casino has been building a legacy. From reviving the Menomonee Valley to becoming Wisconsin’s most visited entertainment destination, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino has established itself as not only the premier gaming destination in the Midwest, but also as a partner invested in the growth of our community.

Growing from a modest bingo hall to the most visited entertainment destination in the state, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino now features more than one million sq. ft. of gaming space, a hotel, spa, multiple award-winning restaurants, a theater and more.

Videos

30th Anniversary

TV Spot from 1991

TV Spot Today

Promotion

30th Anniversary Ride to Rewards - March 1-31, 2021 Cadillac XT5 drawing

We are celebrating all month long with a new kiosk game, Ride to Rewards, and a 2021 Cadillac XT5 giveaway.

Want more ways to win?
Follow our social channels for a month of contests and giveaways.

Photo Gallery

Take a tour of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino through the years.

Potawatomi Bingo opened its doors on March 7, 1991. The 46,000-square-foot facility housed 2,500 seats for high-stakes bingo.

Bingo Circus Parade Bash Event at Potawatomi Bingo, 1993

Crowds at Potawatomi Bingo Circus Parade Bash, 1993

The first bingo ball drawn on opening day was B-13. A giant B-13 bingo ball character would become an early mascot for the organization.

In 1992, slot machines are introduced for the first time – a major turning point in the casino’s history.

With a new compact approved by the state in 1998, Potawatomi received approval for a 120-million-dollar, 250-thousand square foot casino.

On November 1, 2000, the newly expanded Casino opened with fireworks and the lighting of the flame atop the new building.

Casino expansion showing the original building at left, 2000

The Heart of Canal Street charity has given over $20 million to local organizations. Photo shows HOCS 20th Anniversary, 2013.

In 2006, construction began on a 240-million dollar, 500-thousand square-foot expansion that would significantly increase gaming and other entertainment options.

A focal point of the expansion was the creation of Bar 360 in the center of the gaming floor. It is a contemporary portrayal of a dream catcher and the lights change throughout the day.

In 2012, tribal officials unveiled plans for a $150-million, 19-story hotel tower. It would become one of the largest in the city. Mayor Tom Barrett attends a hotel ribbon cutting ceremony in 2014.

In the summer of 2014, Potawatomi opened the hotel tower – featuring spacious guest rooms, luxurious suites, and 11,000 square feet of new meeting space.

The new hotel tower featured the largest suite in Milwaukee, the Presidential Suite, boasting beautiful views of the city skyline.

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino promotes its Mardi Gras celebration, one of the many events throughout the year, on Fox 6 News, 2019

Five years after opening the first hotel tower, Potawatomi opens a second hotel tower, completed in 2019.

The Chairman’s Suite is one of a number of impressive suites added during the second tower completion in 2019.

One of the many new suites – a new tower Double Suite, 2019.

The full-service Ember Salon & Spa opens in 2020, just off the hotel lobby.

Continuing the commitment to world-class amenities, a full Dream Dance Steakhouse remodel is unveiled in 2020 – featuring a one-of-a-kind wine archway.

Timeline

1988 – The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is signed into law giving Native American the right to operate gaming facilities on tribal lands.

1991 – Potawatomi Bingo opens on March 7 in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley.

1992 – Slot machines are added to the facility following the signing of the Forest County Potawatomi’s first gaming compact with the state of Wisconsin.

1994 – Heart of Canal Street debuts, a signature charity program to raise money for local children’s organizations.

1999 – Agreements reached on a local, federal level for major expansion at Potawatomi Bingo Casino.

2000 – Phase One of Potawatomi Bingo Casino opens, offering slot machines, table games, a 2,000-seat bingo hall, restaurants and a 500-seat theater.

2003 – Tribe purchases an additional 12 acres of land and proposes expansion that would add 1,000 jobs to its work force.

2006 – Canal Street is lengthened to stretch from 6th Street to Miller Park in thanks to a public/private partnership, including Potawatomi Bingo Casino. The new thoroughfare opens the floodgates to new business in the Menomonee Valley.

2006 – Ground is broken on a major expansion to the casino which will triple its size, increase gaming options and add several new amenities.

2008 – The casino unveils its expansion, adding 500,000 square feet, including 1,300 new slot machines, 60 table games, off-track betting, a new poker room, new restaurants and a center bar.

2012 – The property announces and breaks ground on a hotel, the first time it will offer guests lodging

2014 – The property changes its name to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and opens its newest amenity – a 19-story, 381-room hotel, bringing the property’s total square footage to 1.1 million.

2016 – Potawatomi Hotel & Casino celebrates 25 years in business.

2018 – Heart of Canal Street marks its 25^th anniversary. Since its inception the program has raised more than $19 million for hundreds of charities benefitting local children.

2019 – Second hotel tower opens, completing an $80 million investment in the community and adding 180,000 square feet of space to the property. The second tower houses 119 new hotel rooms and suites (bringing the total to 500), a new ballroom and meeting/conference rooms and the Ember Salon and Spa.

2019 – Potawatomi Hotel & Casino completes the full remodel of Dream Dance Steak House and welcomes the Topgolf Swing Suites to the property.

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Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

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