Michigan Group Wants ''Charity'' Casino

A Michigan group, Citizens for a Charity Casino, says it wants to build a "non-profit casino" on Muskegon's downtown waterfront that would "benefit the community" with its winnings. The group, backed by West Michigan Dock and Market Corp. owners, began circulating petitions Mar. 5 for a new city ordinance that would allow a "non-profit" casino. Under the group's plan, a non-profit corporation would operate the casino like an American Indian tribe and would dispense casino revenues, after expenses, to local charities and other non-profit community groups. "If a casino is going to be considered by the voters, we think the non-profit model makes more sense," said Citizens for a Charity Casino spokesman Ben Bifoss, who is also general manager of the Mart Dock. Under the state’s existing casino laws, a non-profit casino would generate more revenue to the state and city than Indian-based operations, whose compacts allot much less of a share to local and state governments. The proposal would also restrict revenues to operator/developer to no more than 40 percent as a management fee. The group's petitions are in competition with other non-profit casino efforts led by the Archimedes Group of Muskegon and Group One Productions of Winter Park, Florida.