Detroit casinos set all-time gaming revenue record in March

Detroit’s three commercial casinos set an all-time gaming revenue record in March, as two properties set new individual records.

Figures released Thursday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board show total casino gaming revenue of $138.6m in March, 5.7% higher than the same month last year. The figure is the highest ever recorded since the first casinos opened in 1999, surpassing the previous record of $135.3m in March 2012.

MGM Grand Detroit set a new personal best with $58.1m, up 7.3% year-on-year and beating its previous monthly best of $57.2m in March 2012. Ditto for MotorCity Casino, which earned $49.3m, beating its March 2013 record of $45.8m. Jack Entertainment’s Greektown Casino contributed $31.2m to March’s total, but fell short of its own record of $34.7m in March 2013.

Despite the records, the market’s total revenue over the first quarter of 2018 was essentially flat year-on-year at $360.2m. The blame goes to Greektown, whose Q1 total of $82.9m was down 4.7% year-on-year, while MGM and MotorCity posted gains of 1.6% and 1.2%, respectively.