Detroit Casinos Report $103.4 Million September Aggregate Revenue

According to the September revenues released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), the three Detroit casinos reported $103.4 million in monthly aggregate revenue in September. Table games and slots generated $100.8 million in revenue, and retail sports betting generated $2.6 million in revenue.

The September market shares were:

MGM, 48%
MotorCity, 31%
Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 21%

Monthly revenue for table games and slots declined 5.7% when compared to September 2021 results. September revenue also fell 3.5% from August 2022 results. Through September 30, 2022, table games and slot revenue rose 0.8% when compared with the same nine-month period last year.

When compared with September 2021, monthly gaming revenue results were:

MGM, $48.4 million, up 0.01%
MotorCity, $31.3 million, down 14.2%
Hollywood Casino at Greektown, $21.1 million, down 4.3%

The three Detroit casinos paid $8.2 million in gaming taxes to the State of Michigan, compared to $8.7 million for the same period last year. The casinos also reported submitting $12.5 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in September.

Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) for September declined 24.9% when compared with September 2021 results of $3.5 million. Monthly QAGR was up 56.3% from August 2022 results of $1.7 million. The Detroit casinos reported total retail sports betting handle of $18,580,437, and total gross receipts were $2,632,507 for the three retail sportsbook locations.

September QAGR by casino was:

MGM, $1,007,935
MotorCity, $822,534
Hollywood Casino at Greektown, $768,912

The three Detroit casinos reported submitting taxes on retail sports betting in the amounts of $99,257 to the State of Michigan and $120,091 to the City of Detroit during for September 2022.

Year to date thru September 30, aggregate retail sports betting QAGR results were:

MGM, $4 million
MotorCity, $3.6 million
Hollywood Casino at Greektown, $5.7 million

Fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $1.2 million and paid taxes of $100,964 during August 2022.

Fantasy contest operators reported aggregated total adjusted revenues of $9.7 million and paid taxes of $817,505 to the state through the first eight months of 2022.

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Provides an Update on Construction at Four Winds South Bend

In a recent press release, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi provided an update on the progress of the construction at its Four Winds Casino in South Bend. The release also provided insight into a recent private tour it provided to media to view the expansion that the casino resort is currently undergoing. In addition to the current construction, on August 18th, they unveiled a newly expanded gaming floor. The floor is now more than 98,000 square feet and includes 1,900 slot machines, 27 table games, a new high-limit area, and an additional cage and cashier area.

In the first quarter of 2023, the group plans to complete construction on a 23-story hotel tower with 317 rooms, including 83 suites at the Four Winds South Bend. Additionally, the press release states that, the completed construction will include new amenities such as a spa, convention area, meeting space, a ballroom, lounge, bar & grille, an outdoor third-floor swimming pool, and terraces with spectacular views.

Frank Freedman, Chief Operating Officer of Four Winds Casino, led a tour provided to the media. During the tour, the new expansion was highlighted through stops at several areas, including the newly named Cedar Spa. The spa will offer a variety of traditional and unique spa therapies, including steam rooms, saunas, and vitality pools, as well as separate lounges for women and men. Furthermore, Cedar Spa will also offer a couples suite, facials, body treatments, and massage services, with more details on these services and treatments to be revealed upon the spa’s full opening.

As a comment about the progress of the construction, Frank Freedman stated, “With much of the exterior work now complete, we are excited to focus our attention on the interior features and finishes that our guests will enjoy as part of their overall entertainment experience at Four Winds South Bend. We are also excited to provide some initial details on Cedar Spa, which we believe will be a very attractive amenity. We hope the South Bend community shares in our excitement as we prepare for the unveiling early next year.”

“We are thrilled to see many of the new interior features of Four Winds South Bend take shape as we near the final phases of construction,” added Rebecca Richards, the Tribal Chairwoman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. She further stated, “We appreciate all of the hard work from our casino operations team, project manager, general contractors, construction workers, and vendors to keep the project moving forward. The completed casino resort is going to be spectacular!”

The tour additionally showcased the hotel tower and the Ribbon Town Conference and Event Center, a 24,000 square foot multi-use facility, which contains 16 meeting rooms, a ballroom with seating for 600, two pre-function bar areas, a business center, and outdoor pre-function space. According to the prese release the event center will be able to host large meetings, conferences, banquets, and special events. Ribbon Town also includes a cafe, an outdoor swimming pool, and terraces with spectacular views and will also be able to accommodate concerts and live performances as well.

The progress of the expansion of Four Winds South Bend can be followed by accessing the construction camera on the Four Winds Casinos website.

MGCB Public Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, October 18

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (“MGCB”) will hold a regular public meeting on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at the MGCB’s Cadillac Place Office, 3062 W. Grand Boulevard, Suite L-700, Detroit, 48202-6062. The meeting will begin at 9:30 AM and will also be accessible via Zoom.

The MGCB will consider approval of occupational licenses, supplier licenses, supplier license renewals, approval of new key persons, and the approval of some acknowledgements of violations among other issues. The full agenda for the October meeting may be found here.

The meeting is open to the public, and comments from the public are welcomed and encouraged during the public comment portion of the meeting.

The meeting will also be accessible to the public via Zoom at this link.