Michigan’s retail commercial casinos continued to prove resilient in October, despite COVID-19 restrictions limited them to 15% capacity.
Detroit’s trio of commercial casinos (MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino Hotel, Greektown Casino-Hotel) brought in $101.4 million in monthly aggregate revenue for October. Those numbers, released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), marked an increase in month-to-month overall revenue for the third consecutive month.
Most of that $101.4 came from table games and slots, which earned $93.8 million for the month. That figure is 18.9% down versus October 2019 slots and table games revenue, but with the 15% capacity restriction in mind, casino operators hold reason for optimism for Detroit’s retail casino industry.
All three Detroit casinos operate on-property sportsbooks, and retail sports betting venues took in $7.6 million in revenue for October. That figure marks a nearly 73% increase month-to-month for retail sportsbooks, which posted $4.4 million in revenue for September.
MGM Grand Detroit’s BetMGM Sports Lounge topped Michigan’s commercial sportsbooks with $3.7 million in October revenue. FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino Hotel ($2.2 million) and The Sportsbook at Greektown Casino-Hotel ($1.7 million) appear to be fighting it out for the No. 2 spot in the Detroit retail sports betting market.
MGM, MotorCity Almost Equal In October Market Share
MGM Grand Detroit brought in the most overall revenue among the three Detroit casinos in October, taking in $37.8 million. MotorCity Casino came in just behind MGM at $36.3 million, with Greektown Casino-Hotel earning $19.7 million.
Detroit’s casinos were forced to shut down in mid-March as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic set in on US shores. The trio of commercial casinos remained shuttered for nearly five months before getting the green light to reopen in the first week of.
October marked the third straight month for the three properties to realize month-to-month combined revenue increases. Michigan’s commercial casinos brought in $69.2 million in August, with Greektown and MotorCity reopening Aug. 5, and MGM Grand Detroit following suit on Aug. 7.
September marked the first full month of operations for the city’s casinos since reopening. The September figures posted by the MGCB showed $87.9 million in combined revenue from the three casinos.
That number went up again in October, as Michigan’s retail casino industry stays viable despite the COVID-19 complications. The October revenue numbers from the MGCB can be viewed here.
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