Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — Four Winds Casinos has implemented a temporary lay-off of 1,489 non-essential employees at its locations in Michigan and Indiana effective April 13, due to the impact of COVID-19.

The notice was issued to the State of Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency in a letter from Frank Freedman, the chief operating officer of Four Winds.

In the letter, Freedman said the lay-offs are temporary, although the date when the casino will resume normal operations is unknown.

The casinos, with locations in New Buffalo, Hartford and Dowagiac, Michigan and in South Bend, Indiana is comprised of non-unionized workers.

According to the letter, impacted employees received a notification stating the effective date of the associate’s temporary furlough, that the duration of the temporary layoff is unknown, an email address to the Four Winds Human Resources Department and a letter serving as a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

The casinos suspended services and became closed to the public on March 17, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.