When it comes to Detroit casinos, it wasn’t all systems go in November. As a matter of fact, the betting buggy sputtered for Detroit in the 11th month of 2023.
According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the three casinos in Detroit — MGM, MotorCity, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown — generated $79.1 million in aggregate revenue in November.
While almost $80 million seems solid on the surface, digging a little deeper reveals the dip for Detroit in the casino space.
Let’s take a look at Detroit casino revenue in November.
Detroit Casino Revenue Down Year-Over-Year in November
Table games and slots were responsible for $76 of the $79 million. The other $3 million generated was from sports betting at retailers.
However, this number reflects a 24% dip from Nov. 2022.
Not only did Detroit’s casino revenue dip year-over-year, but it also took a 7% dive from Oct. 2023 to Nov. 2023.
It wasn’t all bad beats for betting in Detroit in November, though. Sports wagering revenue was actually up $2 million from $1.1 million in Oct. 2023.
Detroit Workers’ Strike Impacts Revenue
During November, three of the four American major sports leagues are in full swing, as is college football. NFL, NBA, and NHL all being in action likely helped boost the city’s sports betting numbers that month.
So why the decline in casinos?
According to reporting from WDET, Detroit’s NPR station, during a strike by union members of the three casinos, workers walked off the job on Oct. 17. Issues ranging from pay to staffing issues were at the top of employees’ list of grievances.
Deals between the companies and workers were reached in late November and December, but by that time, their absence had impacted casino revenue.
Brighter Betting Days Ahead in Detroit
Perhaps Detroit casinos bounce back in December. As the industry awaits the latest numbers, there is some news that could potentially end up being a bright spot for Motor City’s casinos, so there’s always a possibility.
According to Play Michgian, November was actually a record-breaking month for online casinos. That success is expected to build into 2024.
This news indicates that there’s obviously a growing enthusiasm for casino betting in Michigan — despite the lower numbers for Detroit’s brick-and-mortar.
With that in mind and with the relatively new worker deals in place, MGM, MotorCity, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown could very well report increased revenue in the December report and could ride a wave into 2024 as well.
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