Detroit casino revenues drop 42% for the month of August

Detroit’s three casinos have reported monthly aggregate revenue of $69.3 million after reopening earlier in the month

The three casinos in Detroit?have?collectively?generated?$69.3 million in August, their first month back in operation following their state-ordered shutdowns?since the start of the pandemic on March 16.?

MotorCity?and?Greektown?have?reopened on?Aug 5 and?MGM Grand Detroit?on Aug. 7.?– with?the resumption of operations?of?all three Detroit casinos?ordered by?Gov. Gretchen?Whitmer.

Whitmer’s?guidelines?include, along with the?15 percent occupancy, venues needing to require?daily entry screening protocols,?temperature screening,?face coverings for?employees and?customers,?slot machines?reconfigured to promote social?distancing, table games equipped with?plexiglass?dividers,?availability of?hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes?and heightened cleaning protocols. In addition, smoking is banned on casino floors poker rooms are banned.?

The?city’s casino revenues plummeted more than 50%?due to the COVID-19 shutdown,?with?the?year-to-date revenue reported last year of $617.9 million,?only $299.2 million was brought?by?the?three casinos?during the lockdown.?However,?officials were pleased?with the roughly 25-day performance.??

“We are cautiously optimistic,” David?Massaron, the city’s chief financial officer, told?The Detroit News. “We are trending ahead of where we are in terms of the monthly forecast, but we don’t know what that portends for the year as a whole.”?

“We don’t know if that is pent-up demand, or if it is the beginning of the upward ramp-up,” he added.?

MGM?gained the?most, with revenues?amounting to?$28.63 million?in August?despite being open two less days,?—MotorCity?came?second at $25?million, and?Greektown?placing?third at $15.68 million.?

The state collects 8.1 percent of each gaming property’s casino win, while the city receives 10.9 percent.?

Moreover,?MotorCity?and?Greektown?are planning to welcome back poker players by opening their rooms as early as this week.?

An email sent this week from?MotorCity?read, “Detroit’s best?Poker Rooms reopens next week!” and?Greektown?said it will have its poker room “back up in a few weeks.”?

However, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB)?has yet to issue?health safety directives for casinos reopening their poker rooms.?

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