Fortune Bay is the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa's resort casino at Tower, on the southern shore of Lake Vermilion in north-eastern Minnesota. It rates 4.0 from around 1,900 Google reviewers.
The setting is the whole proposition. Lake Vermilion is one of the great Minnesota lakes, and the property sits at the doorstep of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area — which means most guests here are on a fishing, paddling or snowmobiling trip and treating the casino as the evening.
What's on the floor
A resort gaming floor of slot machines with a table offering alongside.
The Band does not publish a detailed machine and table breakdown, and directory figures for this property disagree with each other. Check the venue's site for the current table and gaming schedule before you plan around a specific game — that matters more here than at a large floor, because the pit at a resort casino this size follows demand rather than a fixed rota.
The hours are the thing to plan around
This is the single most useful practical fact about Fortune Bay, and it catches people out.
The casino is not open around the clock, and the schedule changes through the week. It opens at 7am daily. It closes at 2am Monday through Wednesday, at midnight on Thursday and Friday, and runs 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday.
A midnight close on a Friday is genuinely counterintuitive — most casinos run latest at the end of the working week. Confirm before you plan a Friday evening around it.
The resort
Fortune Bay is a full resort rather than a gaming floor: lodging, a marina on Lake Vermilion, and golf, with the lake and the surrounding forest doing most of the work.
In summer the draw is fishing and boating; in winter it is snowmobiling and ice fishing, both of which are serious pursuits in this part of Minnesota. The property runs busiest around those seasons rather than around the gaming calendar.
Tips before you go
Minnesota tribal casinos generally admit players from 18, though individual properties set their own rules and areas serving alcohol are often 21-plus. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
Tower is roughly an hour north of Duluth and a long way from the Twin Cities — around three and a half hours. This is a destination, and it is worth booking accommodation rather than attempting it as a day trip.
Book well ahead for fishing opener weekends and for the winter snowmobile season.
Nearby alternatives
South in Duluth, Fond-du-Luth Casino is a downtown floor in the old Sears building. South-west at Carlton, Black Bear Casino Resort is the larger resort serving the Duluth corridor. West at Walker, Northern Lights Casino is the Leech Lake Band's property.
For the full picture, see all Minnesota in-person casinos.
FAQ
What are Fortune Bay Resort Casino's hours?
The casino opens at 7am daily. It closes at 2am Monday through Wednesday, at midnight Thursday and Friday, and runs 24 hours Saturday and Sunday. It is not a 24-hour property during the week.
How old do you have to be to gamble at Fortune Bay Resort Casino?
Minnesota tribal casinos generally admit players from 18, though individual properties set their own rules and areas serving alcohol are often 21-plus. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
What games are available at Fortune Bay Resort Casino?
A slots floor with a table game offering alongside. Published counts vary between sources, so check the venue's site for the current schedule.
Does Fortune Bay have a hotel?
Yes — it is a full resort with lodging, a marina on Lake Vermilion and golf.
How far is Fortune Bay from Duluth?
Roughly an hour north, at Tower on Lake Vermilion. It is about three and a half hours from the Twin Cities.
What is there to do at Fortune Bay besides gambling?
Fishing and boating on Lake Vermilion in summer, snowmobiling and ice fishing in winter, plus golf and the marina. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area is nearby.
Rather play from your couch tonight? See our Minnesota sweepstakes rankings.
Updated August 2026 · Details verified against Minnesota Indian Gaming Association records and the venue's official site. Hours and offerings change — confirm before you go.
