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Throughout Michigan, as temperatures rise this week and COVID-19 statistics in the state continue to decline, casinos are resuming their operations.
During Memorial Day weekend, only three out of the 26 casinos in Michigan were operational. However, by June 1, the number of open casinos had increased to 10, and the majority of the remaining establishments had also announced their plans to reopen.
On March 22, Michigan casinos were forced to shut down as a result of the pandemic, affecting Metro Detroit disproportionately compared to other parts of the state. Coinciding with the launch of Michigan sports betting on March 11, the outbreak had a significant impact on both the Great Lakes State and the sports industry.
As of now, the three commercial casinos in Detroit have not been given a specific reopening date. However, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made an announcement on Monday stating that bars and restaurants throughout the state will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity starting from June 8.
As of Monday, the only two Ojibwa Casinos in the Upper Peninsula of the state that have not announced a reopening date are located in Marquette and Baraga.
As per the COVID-19 Tracker of the American Gaming Association, there were 316 operational casinos across the United States on Monday afternoon, whereas 673 casinos remained closed.
Eight Lower Peninsula casinos opened, more on way
Take a glimpse at the casinos in the Lower Peninsula that have implemented reopening strategies.
- On June 1st, FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek reopened its doors.
- There are four locations of Four Winds Casinos, namely Dowagiac, Hartford, New Buffalo, and South Bend. It has been proposed that all three locations in Michigan, Dowagiac, Hartford, and New Buffalo, will reopen on June 15. Additionally, the South Bend location in Indiana is also scheduled to reopen on the same date.
- According to a recent announcement, Gun Lake Casino in Wayland is scheduled to open its doors at 8 a.m. on June 8th. While table games will be available for play, the poker room will remain closed. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the establishment will primarily be smoke-free.
- The reopening of Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown took place on May 29th.
- The Little River Casino Resort in Manistee reopened on May 29 in the afternoon. To adhere to space limitations, initially only guests aged 18 or above are allowed. Furthermore, all guests are mandated to wear masks, undergo a non-contact temperature check below 100 degrees, and maintain a social distance of six feet. Limited seating will be available for table games.
- Two Odawa Casinos have recently opened. The Mackinaw City location officially opened its doors on May 22nd, while the Petoskey location followed suit on May 29th. Notably, the Petoskey casino introduced table games with limited seating as part of its reopening plan.
- Saganing Eagles Landing Casino and Hotel in Standish has resumed operations on May 29, exclusively for a select number of invited guests. Subsequently, starting from June 1, the casino will welcome the general public.
- The Soaring Eagle Casino Resort in Mount Pleasant reopened on May 29 exclusively for a limited number of invited guests. Subsequently, on June 1, the casino welcomed the general public to visit and enjoy its facilities.
- On May 29, Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg reopened its doors at 8 a.m.
The Lower Peninsula casinos that currently do not have any reopening plans in place are listed below:
- The reopening date for Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit has not been determined yet. As per Governor Whitmer’s executive orders, the commercial casinos in Detroit are currently governed by the latest order, set to expire on June 12.
- There is currently no set reopening date for MGM Grand Detroit in Detroit. The commercial casinos in Detroit are governed by Governor Whitmer’s executive orders, with the latest one set to expire on June 12.
- There is currently no set reopening date for MotorCity Casino in Detroit. The commercial casinos in Detroit are governed by Governor Whitmer’s executive orders, with the most recent one set to expire on June 12.
Five Kewadin Casinos change reopening date in U.P.
This is an overview of the current reopening status of the Upper Peninsula casinos.
- The reopening of Bay Mills Casinos in Brimley has been announced for June 12 at 10 a.m.
- After initially planning to reopen on May 6, Island Resort and Casino in Harris became the first casino in Michigan to resume operations on May 16.
- Kewadin Casinos, consisting of five locations (Christmas, Hessel, Manistique, Sault Ste. Marie, and St. Ignace), initially planned to reopen on June 1 after their announcement on May 28. However, they later changed their decision and rescheduled the reopening to June 12 for all the mentioned locations.
- On May 22, the Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet reopened.
- There is currently no set reopening date for the Baraga or Marquette locations of Ojibwa Casinos.
Who will be the next Michigan casinos to open?
It is reasonable to assume that the Upper Peninsula casinos, which are currently closed, may be the next ones to announce their reopenings.
Island Resort and Casino, along with other tribal casinos, possess the independence to operate independently from Whitmer’s directives. Demonstrating this autonomy, Island Resort and Casino reopened on May 16, almost a week ahead of the other U.P. casinos.
