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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- A new casino has opened in the state of Michigan. It's located at exit 104, off I-94 in Battle Creek. FireKeepers Casino is a new gaming destination with 107,000 square feet of casino floor, over 2,600 slot machines, more than 75 table games and five restaurants. Dining options include a grab and go, a full buffet, a lounge, a cafe and food court. If your on the way to Chicago or returning to Detroit, this is the perfect halfway point to stop, play and dine. FireKeepers Casino is located in the same town that the Kellogg Company calls home.

The new Las Vegas-style casino is 23 miles from Kalamazoo, 60 miles from Lansing, 75 miles from Grand Rapids, 82 miles from Ann Arbor, 109 miles from Fort Wayne, Ind., 123 miles from Detroit and 164 miles from Chicago.

"We are a brand-new $300 million casino," said Michael Facenda, Marketing Director of Firekeepers Casino. "We just recently opened last Wednesday. We have 1,500 team members here trying to deliver the best service they possibly can on any given day. We are right on the interstate, a couple hundred yards off and very, very convenient to get to. Right now, we're offering a fun, vibrant, upscale experience. Anybody anywhere, Detroit aside or included that wants to enjoy in that type of experience we're happy to have them."

There are 2,680 slot machines at the new casino. The most popular include Wheel of Fortune, Star Wars, Wizard of Oz and Monopoly Money Grab. Visitors to the casino can play 78 table games including blackjack, roulette, craps, big six and baccarat. A live poker room is also being offered at FireKeepers with a selection of games including Texas Hold 'em, Stud, Omaha and others. Bingo is also available for guests.

Three entertainment and nightlife locations are inside FireKeepers. Kabaret is a nightclub that was designed to showcase local bands, comedy and DJ performances. It opens from late afternoon until the early morning hours. Dacey's Sports Bar features 150 seats, 18 big screen TVs and a large selection of local beers. A lounge is also located within the Nibi restaurant with a bar top that resembles a running stream. It is also open from late afternoon until the early morning.

"We've just now started our bus programming," Facenda said. "We're having line runs out of many key markets. We've taken in great interest in charter runs as well. So you'll see us active in many markets including Detroit, Toledo, Lansing, Chicago, Fort Wayne and Grand Rapids."

Five restaurants are located within the new casino. Aurora Lounge is an intimate, escape from the casino floor with white stone calls, warm wood tones and a green fireplace. It is suitable for a glass of wine and a private game of video poker. Nibi, which translates to "rolling water," is an upscale dining option with the image of rain falling from the sky. Guests can enjoy appetizers, salads, seafood and desserts at Nibi.

The Mijem Buffet, which translates to "food," is a 300-seat buffet with a large variety of hot and cold favorites, breads, meats, seafood, Asian, Italian and American cuisine. A dessert bar is also offered with a chocolate fountain. The buffet is open for lunch and dinner, with seafood specials on Friday night and brunch on Sunday.

Cafe 24/7 is a 150-seat restaurant that offers turkey sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, New York deli sandwiches, soups and pies. Breakfast is served all day long. Chi Mon-ee's offers rotisserie chicken, pizza, Asian cuisine and deli sandwiches. It is open for lunch and dinner. The Amazen Blazen Grab & Go is for guests who need a quick bite to eat. There is coffee, bagels, beverages, energy drinks, pastries, snacks and homemade sandwiches available.

"We have everything that you would want to find," the marketing director said about the casino's slot machines. "We have all the denominations that customers are looking for. We have some of the newer technology games. We are ticket in, ticket out facility here. I think any slot player is going to find exactly what they're looking for."

The Red Hot Rewards Club is the loyalty program being offered by FireKeepers. Players can earn points for free slot play and dining at any of the five FireKeepers restaurants, entries for sweepstakes and promotions. Members of the club can also be eligible for invitations to special events.

FireKeepers does not offer hotel accommodations. However, it has partnered with local hotels and motels in the area to get great rates for its rewards members.

And when the winter comes, there's no need to worry about salting or removing snow. FireKeepers uses 50,000 square feet of heated concrete from its driveway to the entrance of the casino.

Construction of FireKeepers began in May 2008. Construction of the parking garage started in November 2008. Everything was completed by August 2009. The steel structure uses 3.2 million pounds of steel. Inside, visitors will see decorative light fixtures that cost $3.8 million.

"Our tribe has put great emphasis on a clean air quality experience here at FireKeepers," said Facenda. "We have a very state-of-the-art facility in place that brings fresh air from outside, it ushers it underneath the gaming floor and comes up through little air vents throughout the floor that you can see all over the casino. It's designed to take smoke to the ceiling. Instead of letting it loiter around your head and shoulders area. We've had great success with it. It provides great air quality and makes smokers and non-smokers alike very happy here at FireKeepers."

FireKeepers Casino is operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi indian tribe.

Click here to visit the official website of FireKeepers Casino.