Detroit casinos set new revenue record for second straight year

Detroit’s three commercial casinos set a new gaming revenue record in 2019 while the state continues to prepare for the imminent launch of legal sports betting.

Figures released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board show Detroit’s three casinos generated combined gaming revenue of $1.454b in 2019, beating the previous record of $1.44b set just one year earlier. The three casinos closed out the year by posting revenue of $127.8m in December, up a mere 0.3% from the same month last year.

MGM Resorts’ MGM Grand Detroit enjoyed a property revenue record in 2019 with $623.5m, up 0.7% from 2018, its previous high-water mark. The privately held MotorCity Casino enjoyed its own record-setting performance last year with revenue of $493.6m, up 0.8% from 2018.

Greektown, which is owned by a combination of Penn National Gaming and VICI Properties, saw its 2019 haul rise 0.6% year-on-year to $337.2m, although this failed to eclipse Greektown’s previous best of $352.8m set way back in 2011.