Dakota Dunes Casino Cuts the Ribbon on Expanded Gaming Floor

Whitecap Dakota First Nation continues to expand their on-reserve ventures.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday marked the opening of the Phase 1 expansion of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) operated casino at the Dakota Dunes Resort complex. Phase 1 consits of a newly expanded smoking room, adding 11,500 feet of additional gaming floor to the casino and 350 additional machines.

“It’s really our commitment at SIGA to always be elevating what we provide our customers and move forward,” said Zane Hansen, SIGA President and CEO.

“When you look at the success and growth of the entire Dakota Dunes footprint out here, it’s just a fantastic partnership effort.”

The new casino expansion has already created an additional 30 jobs, said Hansen, with more employment expected as the expansions continue. In total, Dakota Dunes Casino has 373 employees, 73 percent of which are Indigenous.

The new, high-ceiling smoking room includes a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) to improve air quality in the room.

“It’s an investment in air quality, and it’ll really set us up for some amazing growth here at Dakota. It’s been one of our fastest growing markets in the province,” said Hansen.

In the spring of 2026, the next phase of the casino expansion – the High Limit Room – is expected to be complete. In Summer 2026, expansions of a new food and beverage area are scheduled to open, including new Tim Hortons, deli, bar, and Japanese style noodle bar.

Hansen said SIGA is investing around $14 million in the casino expansions.

“If you come here in a few months time, this whole area will look vastly different,” he said.

Next year will also see the opening of a thermal spa at the Dakota Dunes Resort, which will feature pools, saunas, and relaxation areas. The $54 million facility is expected to open in late 2026.

“We have thermal spas all over the world – there’s 26,000 in Pacific Asia, 6,000 in Europe, about 310 in North America, about 156 in Canada, 47 in Quebec, and zero in Saskatchewan,” said Whitecap Dakota Chief Darcy Bear.

“It’s going to make us the number one resort in Saskatchewan,” he said.

Throughout all their on-reserve businesses, Bear said they employ about 700 people. During the ribbon cutting, Bear took time to reflect on the journey his First Nation has taken.

“I was elected back in 1991, and at that time we had not one dollar in our bank account. We had an overdraft, a stack of payables, and about eight employees,” he said.

“It’s been a journey. If you look at economic development for First Nations, you know it was the Indian Act that never allowed us to be part of the economy. We were segregated from society and put on reserve lands.”

Bear said in 2025, he expects Dakota Dunes to net over $50 million.

“These are the things we can do when we all work together.”