Two Detroit Casinos Eye Possible Aug. 1 Reopening Date

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Written By Matt Schoch on July 22, 2020Last Updated on September 25, 2020

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Looking ahead to their future plans, two casinos in Detroit are eagerly anticipating the resumption of gambling in the city.

Hotel reservations for Aug. 1 and onwards can now be made through the official websites of both MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Detroit’s trio of casinos have remained closed since March 16.

Although Gov. Gretchen Whitmer might not ultimately give permission to open the gambling houses, the pair is not being inactive.

Michigan still going backward in numbers, reopenings

As COVID-19 death and infection totals have surged, Whitmer has decided to roll back some of the state’s summer reopenings.

The case count in Michigan witnessed an increase on Tuesday, as 573 new cases and nine new deaths were recorded. Notably, there was a surge in numbers among individuals under the age of 50.

For several months, similar to how Detroit’s three casinos remain closed, Governor Whitmer has not permitted the reopening of gyms, movie theaters, and the only horse racing track in the state.

Whitmer initially permitted the reopening of indoor bars, but subsequently took the decision to close them once more due to the increasing virus figures.

However, only one Michigan tribal casino remains closed as the rest have been reopened by their Native American operators who hold sovereignty.

MGM Grand will not open hotel if casino is closed

Starting this Saturday, residents will have the opportunity to go online and book rooms at MotorCity and MGM Grand for stays beginning on August 1st.

The hotel at MGM Grand Detroit will not be opened as long as the casino remains closed, as stated by the resort.

According to a statement from MGM Grand Detroit to Playinmichigan, the reservation system must be ready to accept bookings once the hotel reopens. As a result, target dates are displayed on the website, although they are subject to potential changes.

A comment request made to MotorCity was left unanswered.

Sportsbooks missing bets as pro leagues return

This week, professional sports are gearing up for restarts, causing casinos to lose out on anticipated revenues generated by new sportsbooks located within their premises.

The owner of MotorCity Casino is Marian Ilitch, who is also the mother of Christopher Ilitch, the owner of the Detroit Tigers. Just before the shutdown on March 12, the property unveiled its FanDuel Michigan Sportsbook.

The BetMGM Sportsbook was recently launched by MGM Grand Detroit, while Greektown Casino-Hotel, the city’s third commercial casino, also unveiled its own sportsbook, which is not currently accepting reservations.

No reopening in sight at Caesars Windsor

In contrast, across the Detroit River in Ontario, there is a lack of optimism regarding the imminent opening of Caesars Windsor.

The closure of the US-Canada border until at least Aug. 20 wouldn’t affect the majority of US citizens.

However, Canadians who are eager to place a bet in the near future are probably not going to have much luck.

In the province’s reopening plan, Windsor is currently in stage two. However, if the region progresses to stage three, the reopening would only permit a maximum capacity of 50 people.

The casino union’s vice president expressed his opposition to a small-scale opening.

Darryl Desjarlais from Unifor Local 444 stated to CKLW AM-800 that the 50-person restriction would apply separately to the staff.

He expressed that it wasn’t his decision, but he doubted that we would be able to open with 50 people as it was not practical.

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