As a workers’ strike looms over the three Detroit casinos, they recorded just under $100 million in gaming revenue for September according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
The $99.99 million in revenue from slots and table games in September was a 4.4% decline in revenue from August and a 0.8% decline from September 2022.
September marks the last month of revenue prior to the beginning of the workers’ strike on Oct. 17, which will certainly impact revenue going forward.
DETROIT CASINO STRIKE UPDATES AS THEY BREAK:
Detroit casinos staying ahead of 2022 revenue at $953.7 million
While September’s casino gaming revenue total is down slightly from a year ago, the overall revenue for 2023 remains ahead of 2022.
The three Detroit casinos sit at $953.7 million for the year, which is 0.6% ahead of the $948.1 million it had at this time last year.
When it comes to September, here’s how it broke down for the three casinos.
- MGM Grand Detroit: $44.7 million (44.7%)
- MotorCity Casino: $31 million (31%)
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $24.3 million (24.3%)
Hollywood Casino continues to be the lone of the three Detroit casinos seeing improved revenue in 2023. With $219 million through nine months of the year, that is up 14.7% from the $191 million it was at a year ago.
Collectively, the three Detroit casinos generated $8.1 million in tax revenue for the state and $12.3 million in tax revenue for the city of Detroit.
Retail sports betting sees big jump in September
Like we saw with September’s revenue totals, retail sports betting also saw a big jump in handle at the three Detroit casinos.
The three combined for $18.1 million in wagers last month, the highest monthly total for 2023 thus far.
That led to $1.6 million in revenue, also a high for the Detroit casinos in 2023.
Handle increased 80.1% from August ($10 million), but a slight 2.7% dip from the handle in September of 2022 ($18.6 million).
Here’s how the retail sports betting broke down in September:
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $6.4 million in handle, $655,813 in revenue
- MotorCity Casino: $6.1 million in handle, $920,293 in revenue
- MGM Grand Detroit: $5.5 million in handle, $42,658 in revenue
Football season creates a big uptick in sports betting. But, the October report is likely to take a hit compared to a year ago.
When the strike began, all three Detroit casinos were forced to close their respective in-person sports betting booths. However, the betting kiosks are still operational during the strike.
Sportsbook lounge areas are also impacted, as a lack of food and beverage staff is limiting options for the three casinos.
