Detroit casinos continue their strong push in 2024, recording $110.8 million in August revenue. It’s the third-highest total of the year, behind March and May.
For the second straight month, revenue was up month-over-month. From July to August, Detroit casinos increased earnings by 4.2%. It’s the best August the properties have had, collectively, since 2021.
Detroit casinos are on pace to deliver the highest revenue since 2019, which means that each facility is, slowly but surely, recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Detroit casinos up month-over-month and year-over-year
August happened to be a prosperous month for city casinos. As the properties displayed a month-over-month increase, they also went up from August 2023, too. Here are results from the previous four months of August:
- 2021: $112.2 million
- 2022: $104.5 million
- 2023: $104.6 million
- 2024: $110.8 million
The previous two years have been down compared to a burst in 2021 when most people wanted to get out of the house at the tale end of the pandemic. It’s great to see that numbers are trending upward.
However, Detroit casinos produced $119.8 million in August of 2019, the year before COVID-19. Despite soft numbers in the last few years, the three properties aren’t far off from reaching that figure again.
Detroit casinos on pace for nearly $1.3 billion in 2024 revenue
It’s been a slow grind, but the casinos appear to be on the road to recovery. Detroit casinos have generated $861.8 million in revenue through August. They are on pace to deliver nearly $1.3 billion in yearly earnings.
Detroit casinos have come a long way since re-opening from the pandemic. Since 2021, facilities have recorded the following totals:
- 2021: $1.27 billion
- 2022: $1.26 billion
- 2023: $1.22 billion
The casinos even overcame a disastrous January, where properties posted only $93.9 million in slots and table games revenue. That was the lowest total of a non-strike or COVID month since June 2005.
Detroit casinos have produced the following totals this year:
- January: $93.9 million
- February: $104.8 million
- March: $122.3 million
- April: $107.9 million
- May: $111.3 million
- June: $104.6 million
- July: $106.3 million
- August: $110.8 million
Only one casino saw revenue down month-over-month
MotorCity Casino was the only property to decrease revenue from July. MGM Grand Detroit and Hollywood Casino at Greektown each raised earnings, which led to solid months:
- MGM Grand Detroit: $53.9 million, up 5.1% from July ($51.3 million)
- MotorCity Casino: $31.2 million, down 1.3% from July ($31.2 million)
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $23.8 million, down 10.1% from July ($23.8 million)
Retail sports betting handle and revenue increases
August provides slightly more sports on the calendar with NFL preseason games and the first full slate of college football, which occurred on Aug. 31. Sports betting handle and revenue increased at all three locations last month:
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $3.8 million handle / $241,045.36 revenue
- MGM Grand Detroit: $3 million handle / $521,151.75 revenue
- MotorCity Casino: $2.8 million handle / $932,851.81
Combined handle and revenue for each property came out to $9.6 million and $1.7 million, respectively. With the football season in full swing in September, and the excitement the Detroit Lions are providing, the energy in the city is palpable.
John Drake, the Vice-President and General Manager of Hollywood Casino at Greektown — home to the country’s first ESPN BET retail sportsbook — told PlayMichigan on Monday:
“We definitely work hard to ensure we are delivering a great experience for customers and Lions fans during home games. Football games draw large crowds to the casino during game day. We typically see a significant spike in our food and beverage sales and generally games are good for gaming business as well. However, some of our VIPs stay away as they try to avoid the traffic congestion and large crowds.“For the home opener we added quick serve food options to our first floor of gaming — hot dogs and beef sandwiches — and increased our beverage locations with portable bars. We also had some vendors in to promote their merchandise which included Detroit vs Everyone and Remi Martin and a local sports radio live remote. For table games side we offered a prize pit with $15 minimum wager games and new slot themes.”
Hollywood Casino at Greektown’s ESPN BET retail sportsbook is available for its first football season since successfully opening right before the NFL Draft.
Up next: August online numbers due next week
As for the July online revenue figures, the MGCB is expected to drop those next week.
