The MotorCity Casino will officially close its poker room on Aug. 5 at 6 a.m. A representative from the Detroit casino confirmed the news to PlayMichigan this morning.
On July 26, that representative told PlayMichigan:
“Effective Thursday, Aug. 1 at 6 a.m., all amounts in the Bad Beat fund will be transferred to the High Hands promotion fund. Going forward, no additional contributions will be made to the Bad Beat fund or any other Poker Room promotion fund.”
As to why the poker room is being closed, the representative said they had “no comment at this time.”
Detroit Casino revenue figures for June were released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board last week. Those numbers show that the three Detroit casinos are, collectively, having their best year since 2019. Combined slot and table game revenue for the three through the first six months of 2024 was $644.7 million.
Discontinued Poker VIP program foreshadowed impending closure
One of the first indications that something was happening to the MotorCity Casino poker room came when it discontinued its Poker VIP program on July 1.
A notice on the casino’s website said, “Players who played 300 poker hours April 1, 2024–June 30, 2024 will be upgraded to Poker VIP July-September and will receive monthly offers and $200 in comps.”
The Poker VIP club previously provided members with, “exclusive access to special hotel offers, gifts, cash giveaways, and more.”
MotorCity solidly #2 in Detroit, but specific poker numbers tough to know
In Michigan, poker revenue numbers are included in combined table games and slot revenue. So, it’s difficult to truly know how the poker room at the MotorCity Casino compared with those at both the MGM Grand Detroit and the Hollywood Casino at Greektown.
Through June, the MotorCity is a solid second in gambling revenue with the total six-month revenue breakdown as follows:
- MGM Grand Detroit — $304 million
- MotorCity Casino — $195 million
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown — $148.7 million
