New Detroit Casino Opened Thursday Night at The St. Regis Hotel. Ran by a Man With A Criminal Past.

WWJ-95am reported that the Casino Won’t Have To Be Ran Under MGCB Casino Rules.

Herb Strather who has a criminal past is behind this so-called Charity Casino at the St. Regis at 3071 West Grand Boulevard that had it’s grand opening Thursday evening April 14, 2011.

As of this moment nothing in print has announced, reported or given the exact details. But according to what I heard ( @9:45PM )  tonight on WWJ-95 ( Listen Live )   the Casino has Table Games: Black Jack , Poker and and Craps. Although at present they don’t have slots. Herb Strather stated they have been told they can have them and will be installed very soon.

Yet Michigan State Attorney General Bill Schuette told  the Bay Mills Indian Community that the Casino they opened in Vanderbilt, Mi. last November had to close and in fact did so March 31, 2011 under an injunction. The Little Traverse Bay of Odawa Indians and coalition of tribes opposed to the November opening of the casino and filed a lawsuit in December.

So Criminal Herb Strather uses the Bingo Act law where his background doesn’t have to be investigated and OK’d by The Michigan Gaming Control Board to gain a Charity Casino Millionaires License. Fantastic

Strather also stated that only 50% has to be given in-fact to charities. He states their are 20 Charities he has chosen.

Now how in the world can the Mi. Atty. General allow this? A man with a Criminal Past running a Casino in any form anywhere in Michigan. There are many Charity Casinos that I’ve written about yet the Horse Racing Tracks cannot obtain legislation to gain Slots and other forms of gaming to even the playing fields in Michigan to compete with the Casinos.

Now a New Casino in Detroit has sprung open at the St. Regis in Detroit. Operating from Thursday to Sunday until 2:00am.

Herb Strather in 1997 was arrested on a bribery charge in 1977 for trying to buy off a police officer in Michigan, according to a 1997 report in the Detroit Free Press.

Strather bankrolled the Wampanoag’s effort to gain federal recognition, which cost millions of dollars. In exchange, Strather has said he would be given a portion of the development rights on a Wampanoag casino.

In 1997, two years before Strather started giving money to the Mashpee tribe, Strather told the Detroit Free Press that he was pulled over after drinking to celebrate a big real estate deal in 1977, and had an outstanding ticket on his record. When Strather offered the policeman a pair of new shoes if he let him pay the ticket the next day, he was arrested.

In the 1990s, Atwater Entertainment, of which Strather was a founding partner, poured money into supporting a referendum question to allow casinos in Detroit. The grass-roots effort came after the Michigan governor ruled against allowing casinos in Detroit .

The referendum passed, and one of three licenses was subsequently given to Atwater for what would become the MotorCity Casino.

Nelson Westrin, former executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, told the Times in 2001 that state investigators place any investor holding more than a 1-percent interest in a casino through a thorough background check.

The Detroit News reported at the time that Strather and his partner had experienced financial difficulties over their 25-year business relationship. They paid taxes late, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development cited a real estate company they owned for several violations, the News reported.

Strather subsequently sold his interests in the casino, which opened in 1999.

John Page, deputy director of enforcement for the Michigan Gaming Control Board, would not release any details yesterday of Strather’s involvement in Detroit casinos other than he was a license applicant and later sold his share.

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Well maybe this is why the MGCB cancelled an Emergency meeting they had called for with the MIHBPA.

Since their offices is at 3062 West Grand Boulevard. Maybe they just wanted to waltz across the street to greet Herb Strather in a joyous opening of another crooked Casino Deal.

If I were the Bay Mills Indians I’d open Vanderbilt back up and tell the State of Michigan and it’s Atty. Gen. to take a flying leap. And the hell with their rival tribe that filed an injunction on them.

Because if Detroit can get away with using the Bingo Act to open another Casino in Detroit as far as I’m concerned ANYTHING GOES.

Too bad Proposal 1 where the States citizens have to vote whether Race Tracks can get Gaming to continue their existence doesn’t come into play here with the St. Regis Hotel Charity Casino.

Enough Gambling did you say Governor Snyder? Surely you jest.

Real estate developer Herb Strather raises his arms after the Mashpee Wampanoag gained federal recognition. The tribe investor was accused of bribery in 1977.

 

Only in Detroit does more gaming go on while the States Horse Racing Tracks are allowed to die with 12,000+ Jobs connected to the Industry.

Strather said it’s the only one of its kind. Yeah I guess so because at the other Charity Casinos within the State, not one has been allowed SLOTS.

Didn’t the St. Regis spring this one open about as unexpected as Vanderbilt? But I doubt you’ll hear MGCB Director Richard Kalm squawk about any of it. After all whatever goes on in Detroit is exclusively pertinent to Detroit. Right Rich Ole Boy?

You’re a joke Gov. Snyder. Not looking to expand gaming? It’s going on anyway just not at the Race Tracks and that’s a damn shame. Bars, Pool Halls, Bowling Alley’s & Hotels are allowed to Game Away, but not what was already gambling establishments since 1933.

A damn dirty shame indeed with real life casualties. 12,000 livelihoods dumped down the drain.

Update 1:38AM

Charity Casino Opens In Detroit

April 14, 2011 10:54 PM 

A new charity casino will open in Detroit.

DETROIT (WWJ) – A new casino is opening in Detroit. It’s a charity casino that will be housed at the St. Regis Hotel on West Grand Boulevard. One of the owners, businessman/investor Herb Strather says the big difference here is that they will donate 50 percent of their proceeds to charity.

“This is licensed under the Bingo Act and under their millionaire licensing rules, they’ve been in place for, really, about 20 years, but this is a progressive model,” says Strather.

“Each charity can have four events a year, they have to get a license though, we’ll help them process the license,” says Strather.

It’s the only one of its kind charity casino in Detroit,  under the Michigan State Lottery Charitable and Gaming Division, it will be a full-fledged gaming hall.

“We have black-jack, we have poker, we have roulette,” says investor, Herb Strather.

“We can have slots and we will probably be putting them in sometime after our grand opening day,” Strather says.

Twenty charities, to date, have been selected to receive proceeds from this casino.

End

” but this is a progressive model,” says Strather.

Proposal 1

Proposal impact

• Requires voter approval of any form of gambling authorized by law after January 1, 2004.
• Requires voter approval of any new state lottery games utilizing “table games” or “player operated mechanical or electronic devices” introduced after January 1, 2004.
• Provides that when voter approval is required, both statewide voter approval and voter approval in the city or township where gambling will take place must be obtained.
• Specifies that the voter approval requirement does not apply to Indian tribal gaming or gambling in up to three casinos located in the City of Detroit.

So does this ” progressive model ” count? for a State Wide Vote?

This Proposal does one thing and one thing only. Prevents the Horse Racing Tracks to gain gaming and that is all it accomplishes. If the MIHBPA I would file new multiple lawsuits against the MGCB and the State itself. I’d ask when this PROGRESSIVE MODEL of Charity Gaming became available.

And why thus far ONLY IN DETROIT.

Detroit has just found another way of opening a New Casino and all of it is BULL.