Standish's Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino Opening Delayed Until Mid-February, 2008?

A new post on a Bay City news site reports that the opening of the new Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino, located near Standish, Michigan, has been delayed from the previously-reported December 31, 2007 until at least mid-February 2008, at the earliest. No explanation for the delay has been made. In fact, the casino has never announced an "official" opening date, although the December 31, 2007 date was previously confirmed by Tribal sources.

Columnist: Harry Reid Responsible For Pulling Of Port Huron Casino Bill From Committee Agenda

According to a radio host writing a column in the Port Huron Times Herald, Nevada Senator Harry Reid is responsible for the "off-again" status of the on-again/off-again bill before the Natural Resources Committee, sponsored by Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, which would allow the Bay Mills Indian Tribe to open a casino at the site of the Edison Inn in Port Huron. Reid allegedly pressured Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who pressured Committee Chairperson Nick Rahall of West Virginia to pull the bill from the Committee's agenda, thus preventing it from reaching the floor for a vote. The columnist speculates that Reid's motivation may derive from one of his largest corporate constituents, MGM Mirage, which owns and operates the MGM Grand Detroit, which would theoretically suffer from competition in Port Huron.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe Purchased Marina Near Saganing Eagle's Landing

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe has purchased a marina approximately two miles from the Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino, which is opening near Standish, Michigan. The marina, formerly known as the Great Lakes Shores Marina, has been renamed Eagle Bay Marina. The marina contains 50 slips, with the potential to add 50 more slips, and potentially RV and camper lots.

This purchase is a part of the Tribe's continual attempts to diversify the economic impact of the Tribe's gaming ventures.

MGM Grand Detroit And MotorCity Casino Hotels Full During Auto Show?

Contrary to prior reports, the Detroit News is now reporting that both the MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino hotels will be at full occupancy during the North American International Auto Show. Perhaps the hotels' vacancy issues will cure themselves, or perhaps the Detroit News is an unwitting servant of a good public relations agency.

Chairman of Greektown Casino Board Resigns; Faces Trial For Misdemeanor Assault

The Free Press reports today that Fred Paquin, chair of the Greektown Casino Board of Directors has resigned under pressure from the Michigan Gaming Control Board, and faces a trial for misdemeanor assault in February in Chippewa County.

The assault charge arises out of a dispute he had with a 34 year old woman who was a secretary in the Tribe's Prosecutor's Office. Paquin, 50, also the Chief of Police for the Tribe (and now suspended with pay), alleges that he was having an affair with the married woman, and they had a dispute over money she wanted. The woman denies a relationship, and claims Paquin assaulted her, including shoving his hand down her shirt.

Yet another interesting twist in the management of Greektown Casino. Of course, that is a post for another day.

New Tool To Track Detroit Casinos' Monthly Gaming Revenues

I have prepared a table to track the monthly gaming revenues at the three Detroit casinos, which will be updated as more information becomes available. All revenues are in millions:

	11/06	11/07	10/07	11/07
MGM Grand Detroit	40.8	47.0	54.9	46.8
MotorCity	39.8		37.7	38.3
Greektown	27.7		25.6	28.1

Women Trapped In MGM Grand Elevator, Score Jackpot

Four women who intended to enjoy a night at the MGM Grand Casino, and then attend a performance of the Lion King in Detroit, were instead trapped in an elevator at the casino.

In a move that should be noted by public relations departments at other casinos (and businesses), the casino immediately made matters right by offering a night's free accommodations, dinner, and tickets to another Lion King performance for the ladies AND THEIR HUSBANDS.

Nice move. Much cheaper than bad publicity.

Detroit Free Press Reports On Vacancy Issues At MGM Grand

The Detroit Free Press published a story today which reports the vacancy issues plaguing MGM Grand Detroit in its first months open. Of course, Michigan Casino Blog first reported about the vacancy issues involving both MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino hotel on October 29, 2007, with follow up reports on November 21, November 28 (including a second post), and December 11, 2007.

As we noted on October 29, 2007, the opening of the three casinos alone will add 438,000 room nights to Detroit's hotel inventory, a vast increase that makes these vacancy issues inevitable until demand increases to match the vast new supply.

Saganing Eagle's Landing Has Website Operational

It's a bit bare bones, but the new Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino near Standish, Michigan now has its website up and running. The only nuggets to be gleaned from the website are an artist's depiction of the completed casino, and the casino's address: 2690 Worth Road. Site plans and elevations from the Tribe's website are shown at left. In addition, the connection to Soaring Eagle Casino and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe is clear, with the eagle's wing logo shared by both casinos.



Here is an updated location map, based upon the address:


View Larger Map

MGM Grand Detroit Having Occupancy Issues?

This little tidbit from a report of the November meeting of the Michigan Gaming Control Board:

"Also, using some language that might be interpreted as inexact, MGM Detroit indicated hotel bookings in the first two months of operation did not meet expectations."

Perhaps MotorCity Casino is not the only casino hotel with occupancy concerns among the new permanent casino hotels.

November Detroit Revenues: MGM Falls Back To Earth; Parking Helps Greektown; MotorCity Treads Water

The November revenue report is now out for the three Detroit casinos.

MGM Grand Detroit fell back to earth a bit from its gargantuan October numbers. MGM's November revenue was $46.8 million, down from $54.9 million in October, but still up $6 million from November 2006.

Greektown's new parking structure was only open for half of the month, but it still led to an approximately 10% increase in monthly revenues, to $28.1 million from $25.6 million in October.

MotorCity, which opened its hotel at the tail end of November, essentially stayed static, with its revenues at $38.3 million, compared to $37.7 million in October.

NY Times Lists Detroit As One Of Top 2008 Travel Destinations; Cites MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino Hotel

The New York Times has identified Detroit as one of its top travel destinations for 2008. The Times specifically noted the opening of the MotorCity Casino Hotel and the MGM Grand Detroit in its article.

Teamsters Seek To Organize Soaring Eagle Employees

As noted previously, the Teamsters union has filed a request with the National Labor Relations Board to organize the employees at the Soaring Eagle Casino Resort in Mt. Pleasant.

The casino is owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, which is also building a second casino near Standish, Michigan, to be called Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino, which is scheduled to open December 31, 2007.

Little River Casino Revenues

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, which owns the Little River Casino Resort, paid $991,000 to the Manistee County Local Revenue Sharing Board. The amount, which is 2 percent of slot machine net win for a six month, corresponds to annual slot net win of $99.1 million from the Little River Casino Resort. This compares to anticipated annual slot net win at the newly opened Four Winds Casino of $167.5 million.

Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino To Open December 31, 2007?

The Bay City Times reports that the new Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino, located near Standish, Michigan, is scheduled to open on December 31, 2007. The casino, owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe will include a 32,000 square foot gaming area, with arond 700 slot machines and 40 table games. It will reportedly have approximately 300 employees at opening.

The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe has purchased approximately 418 acres, including a marina, gas station, and convenience store, this year in Arenac County, where the new casino is located.

This map shows the reported location of the new casino:


View Larger Map

Administrative Complaints Cause Four Winds To Withhold Local Tax Payments

As further evidence that money can cause disputes, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Tribe, which owns the Four Winds Casino, is withholding its required 2% payment to local governments while the local governmental entities continue to fight with each other and the Tribe over the composition of the board that will distribute the local payment.

The Tribe has instead deposited the local revenue payment for the first two months of operation of the casino into an interest-bearing escrow account, until the dispute with the local board is resolved.

One interesting note from the articles is that based upon the local revenue payments, which are 2% of net win from electronic gaming (presumably slots), the Four Winds Casino is estimating its annual net win from slots at approximately $167.5 million.

Three Restaurants At MotorCity To Feature Kiosk Order System

An industry publication is reporting that the MotorCity Casino will feature a kiosk, touchpoint based ordering system for three of its restaurants. One natural fit would be the buffet. I would be surprised if Iridescence featured a kiosk-based reservation/payment system. So, the identity of the other two restaurants that will feature the kiosk-based system is a mystery.

MotorCity's Iridescence To Open In 2007, Hopefully

Not a lot of confidence emanating from today's article about the MotorCity Casino's signature restaurant, Iridescence.

The casino's executive chef, Greg Carroll, was hired in September of this year, after the speedy departure of his predecessor (who left to become executive chef at Chicago's McCormick Place). In two-and-a-half months, Carroll has had to plan for the re-opening of Iridescence MotorCity's signature restaurant, which is being relocated to the 17th floor of the new hotel tower. He also has to plan the opening of Amnesia (the new nightclub), a bistro, and a new buffet.

The photos of the restaurant's current construction status seem to cast doubt on the planned opening of Iridescence in late December. In fact, MotorCity's spokesperson was unwilling to commit to an opening date. December 31, 2007 or January 1, 2008 are mentioned as hopeful opening dates. But "definitely [they] plan" to have Iridescence opened by the 2008 North American International Auto Show the second week of January, 2008.

After getting burned by the one month delay in opening the hotel, MotorCity's staff seems reluctant to commit any definite opening dates for the remaining openings of the casino's staged expansion.

MotorCity Casino Hotel Already Has Second Tower Planned?

One of the interesting nuggets that slipped out during the press coverage of the opening of the MotorCity Casino Hotel was that the casino has master-planned for a second tower, the footprint of which is already known.

However, I would not count on the second tower being constructed soon. With the opening of the three casino hotels in an approximately 12 month period, the Detroit market will have to absorb approximately 438,000 room nights per year, a significant addition to the current room inventory in the City of Detroit.

In addition, the occupancy of the first tower of the MotorCity Casino Hotel on its grand opening night was reportedly approximately 35%, and the first tower is not yet sold out for the 2008 North American International Auto Show, traditionally the week with the greatest hotel demand in Detroit.

The motivation for increasing hotel revenue is clear, however. The casinos are not required to pay the 28% tax on revenues from hotel rooms, unlike gaming revenue. Of course, the profit margin on hotel revenue is substantially lower than gaming revenue, as well.

NHL Teams' Involvement With MotorCity Casino

Interesting to note that the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators are already booked to stay at the MotorCity Casino Hotel while in town for road trips.

In addition, Detroit Red Wings players were involved in a No Limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament at the MotorCity Casino. There is a special irony involved here, since former Detroit Red Wing Darren McCarty filed for bankruptcy, many citing gambling losses as one significant cause of his financial distress. In addition, NHLers Jaromir Jagr and Rick Tocchet have suffered through gambling-related scandals.

Obviously, the NHL must take a different view of casino gambling than Major League Baseball. Of course, the NBA held its All Star Game in Las Vegas in 2007, so the NHL would not be alone in its changing views of casino gambling.

People Mover Extension To MotorCity Casino?

One of the more interesting, albeit off message, comments during the press coverage of the opening of the MotorCity Casino Hotel is the statement by Marian Ilitch, owner of MotorCity and wife of Mike Ilitch, owner of the Fox Theatre, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and Little Caesars, regarding an extension of the People Mover.

Ms. Ilitch stated that they are seriously investigated an extension of the Detroit People Mover, a fixed-circuit, elevated, light rail transit system that currently encircles the core of downtown Detroit. A couple of thoughts about that statement.

First, the People Mover has been controversial because of its low ridership and substantial annual subsidies. So, an expansion could be a double-edged sword. It would logically increase ridership, as the station at the Greektown Casino is one of the busiest in the current loop, and one would assume a second casino location would increase ridership overall. But who is going to fund the land acquisition and construction of the expansion? MotorCity Casino? The City of Detroit? If the rumored construction of a new hockey arena behind the Fox Theatre comes to fruition, there would be two logical beneficiaries, the Detroit Red Wings, and the MotorCity Casino (both of which, of course, are owned by the Ilitch family).

The second thought is that such a statement, at the grand opening of the new casino hotel, merely highlights for me that the casino's executives have come to grips with the fact that MotorCity Casino has the worst location of the three Detroit casinos. An extension of the People Mover to MotorCity would arguably reduce the gap in location benefit that MGM Grand Detroit and Greektown Casino currently enjoy.

MotorCity Casino Hotel Only 35% Occupied On Opening Night?

One of the interesting items noted in the press coverage of the opening of the MotorCity Casino Hotel is that the hotel expects to be only 35% occupied on opening night, and "is looking to be" to be sold out for New Year's Eve and the North American International Auto Show.

Compare that occupancy level to the sold out opening night at MGM Grand Detroit, and the sold out Book Cadillac for the 2009 North American International Auto Show. So again, the question is: Is the vacancy due to the location of the hotel? The management? Or something else. . .

More News From The Press Tour of MotorCity's New Hotel

Yesterday was the VIP and press tour of the MotorCity hotel tower. The Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and Associated Press all have detailed stories up about the hotel opening.

There is a lot of interesting info in these articles, which I will be addressing in separate posts later. In general, though, what is most notable to me is the sense that, while the MGM Grand Detroit executives at their grand opening focused almost exclusively on the resort they were opening, the focus of the MotorCity executives appears to be on what is still to come. It is as though the expectation level for the current hotel tower is intentionally being lowered. More to come in later posts, though.

After Delay, MotorCity Casino Hotel Opens Tomorrow At 3:00pm

After a one month delay, the MotorCity Casino Hotel will officially open to the public Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 3:00pm. Even after the one month delay, the casino is billing Wednesday's opening as a "soft opening," as portions of the hotel remain under construction.

It is interesting how much more excitement and press coverage the MGM Grand Detroit opening generated. MotorCity's phased-in openings of new casino spaces and the hotel has spread the publicity for the MotorCity out over several time periods. One school of thought is that the big bang of publicity MGM Grand received was more worthwhile. However, perhaps the constant drip, drip, drip of news from MotorCity will keep the venue in the gamblers' minds more often.

I suppose the Deceber 2008 monthly revenue report will tell the real story.

UPDATE: The Detroit News has a story posted after a tour of the hotel, which is largely positive.

UPDATE 2: The Free Press now has its story of the hotel tour posted. The story also gives a deadline of the end of March, 2008, for the opening of all remaining renovated gaming areas.

Free Press Has Front Page Story On Marian Ilitch And Mike Malik

The Detroit Free Press published a Sunday Free Press front page story from the Freep's Washington Bureau, which analyzed the business relationship between Marian Ilitch, sole owner of the MotorCity Casino, and Mike Malik, a former co-owner of the MotorCity Casino.

The article discussed the pair's efforts to become involved in managing Native American casinos in Long Island, New York, and Barstow, California, as well as Malik's efforts in support of the Bay Mills tribe to secure a casino in Port Huron, Michigan.

Michigan Casino Blog will have further posts throughout this week about the efforts of Ilitch and Malik, and their political fundraising efforts to achieve their business goals through lobbying.

MotorCity Casino Hotel Has Lights, Vacancies

I'm not exactly sure how this is a story, but MotorCity managed to garner some press coverage for turning on the LED lights that encircle the new hotel tower. The tower can display up to 16.7 million different colors, and will be lit from dusk til dawn, with programmed light displays to match the seasons and holidays. Good job by the MotorCity public relations gurus to get this non-story covered.

The only actual news reported in the story is that MotorCity still has approximately 50 rooms available for the North American International Auto Show in January, 2008. That seems a bit troubling, since that is the one week each year when downtown hotels are universally fully-occupied, and MotorCity has a 12.5% vacancy with only one month remaining. By way of comparison, the Book Cadillac hotel, which does not open until October 1, 2008, is reportedly already fully booked for the 2009 auto show, one year out.

I am not sure whether MotorCity's vacancy rate is an indication of the poor location of the hotel for downtown convention business, or a testament to the lack of confidence in the hotel's management, given the unexpected one month delay in opening the hotel.

Chicago Tribune Has Glowing Review of MGM Grand Detroit

The Chicago Tribune's travel section has a glowing review of the MGM Grand Detroit. The review focuses not on the casino, but rather on the hotel and restaurants. The reviewer (a restaurant reviewer, not a travel critic) dined at all three "high-end" restaurants, and rated Saltwater as the jewel of the three.

MGM Grand Detroit Revenues Up 38.4% In October 2007

The move from the temporary MGM Grand casino to the permanent MGM Grand Detroit Casino caused revenues to increase 38.4% when comparing October 2007 to October 2006. Revenues for October 2007 totaled $54.9 million. The increase was achieved even though the casino was shut down for 2 days to effectuate the move from the temporary casino to the permanent casino.

However, the increases experienced by MGM Grand Detroit were not shared by either Greektown Casino, where revenues decreased by 1% to $25.6 Million (likely caused by hotel and road construction headaches at the casino), or by MotorCity Casino, where revenues increased only 1% to $37.7 Million.

Port Huron and Romulus Indian Casino Legislation Is Off Again

The on-again, off-again legislation to give federal approval to a land swap negotiated in 2002 by then-Governor John Engler is apparently off again. Detroit Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, mother of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, put the kibosh on the legislation.

Expect this legislation to be revisited, as two sponsors, Rep. John Dingell, and Rep. Bart Stupak, support the legislation. Rep. Dingell's support is critical, as he is the senior member of the Michigan congressional delegation, and has significant allies in Congress.

Greektown Workers Ratify New Contract

With an 85% affirmative vote, unionized members at Greektown Casino became the third and final casino to approve a new four year contract with the casino. The contract includes 4% pay increases each year of the contract, enhanced 401(k) contributions, and a lump sum $1,200 bonus per worker.

Casino Windsor Lays Off 239 Workers

Blaming a smoking ban in the casino, and lower revenues, Casino Windsor has laid off a total of 239 workers, including 23 non-union workers and 206 unionized workers.

The casino's revenues have dropped from $440 million to $320 million annually in the past year.

A $400 million expansion, including a new hotel tower, is to open in 2008. The expansion is expected to create additional job opportunities.

More Details On Greektown's Garage

The new parking garage at Greektown Casino will open at 11:30am on Thursday, November 15, 2007. The $65 million, 13 story, 2,900 space garage will be the foundation for the 39 story, 400 room hotel that will open in 2008.

Unions And Greektown Casino Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

The Detroit Casino Council, a consortium of the four unions that represent workers at the three Detroit casinos, reached a tentative agreement with Greektown Casino.

The ratification vote of union members will occur on Thursday, November 15, 2007.

Two Bills In Congress Would Authorize New Indian Casinos In Port Huron and Romulus

The Natural Resources Committee will be holding hearings next week on two separate pieces of legislation that would give federal approval to the agreement signed by then-outgoing Governor John Engler and two Michigan Indian tribes in 2002. The legislation would authorize the opening of Indian-run casinos in Port Huron and Romulus.

The Port Huron casino would be owned by the Bay Mills Indian Community, which currently operates a casino in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The Romulus casino would be owned by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, which currently operates the Greektown Casino in Detroit, as well as the Kewadin casinos in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Greektown Casino's New Parking Garage To Open November 15

Perhaps resolving one of its greatest competitive disadvantages, the Greektown Casino announced that its new 2,991 space parking garage, which will be directly connected to the casino by a covered walkway, will open on November 15, 2007.

The casino's 400 room hotel is being constructed above the parking structure. The hotel is tentatively scheduled to open in late 2008.

MotorCity Casino Hotel To Open November 28

Satisfying the marketing that has promised a "November" opening of the MotorCity Casino Hotel, it was announced that the hotel would open on November 28, 2007, nearly a month after the originally announced opening date of November 2, 2007.

The casino's new restaurants, nightclub, spa, and convention facilities are now scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2008.

More Info On MotorCity Casino's Hotel

Crain's Detroit Business has a story out in today's issue with a good rundown on the challenges that will face the three Detroit casinos as they open their hotels. Namely, they will have to create hundreds of thousands of hotel room nights of business each year, where none previously existed. (By my calculation, at full capacity they would have to create 438,000 room nights among the three hotels: 400 rooms per hotel multiplied by 365 room nights multiplied by three hotels).

Also interesting in the story is that the "excuse" for the MotorCity's delay in opening the hotel has now apparently been expanded beyond the delayed delivery of furniture to also include: (a) the state shutdown [of four hours] on October 1, 2007; and (b) the labor negotiations with the Detroit Casino Council.

Unions And MGM Grand Detroit Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

The Detroit Casino Council, a consortium of the four unions that represent workers at the three Detroit casinos, reached a tentative agreement with MGM Grand Detroit Casino on Thursday, leaving only Greektown Casino without an agreement with the Council.

The ratification vote of union members will occur on Monday, October 29, 2007.

MotorCity Union Contract Ratified

A new four year contract between the Detroit Casino Council and the MotorCity Casino was ratified by the member unions on Monday, October 22, 2007. Contract negotiations are continuing with MGM Grand Detroit and Greektown Casinos.

Opening of MotorCity Casino Hotel Delayed Until November 28, 2007

The opening of the MotorCity Casino Hotel, which was scheduled for November 1, 2007, has been delayed until approximately November 28, 2007. The casino was unwilling to commit to an exact opening date, and blamed the delay on vendor delays in delivery of furniture, fixtures and other furnishings.

Compare this delay with the clockwork precision with which the MGM Grand Casino hotel opened.

MotorCity Prepares To Close As Strike Looms

The contract extension by the Detroit Casino Council, the group of unions representing workers at the three Detroit Casinos, with MotorCity Casino expires at noon today.

In light of the pending strike deadline, numerous media outlets are reporting that the casino is being emptied of patrons.

However, as of this moment, no picket lines have been reported outside of the casino.

Detroit Casinos Negotiate With Unions; Contract Extended

The three Detroit casinos, MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity, and Greektown, continue to negotiate with the unions comprising the Detroit Casino Council. The collective bargaining agreement was set to expire this evening, but the parties have agreed to extend the contract while negotiations continue, with the union committing to give 72 hours notice before a strike.

The Detroit Casino Council is targeting MotorCity in its negotiations, apparently hoping to use the MotorCity contract as the pattern for the remaining two casinos.

UPDATE: Apparently, the media reports were inaccurate, the extension granted to the MotorCity Casino was only through noon on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.

Teamsters Seek Organizing Vote At Soaring Eagle

The Teamsters are seeking to organize the Soaring Eagle workforce. The union has filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to organize the hotel and casino employees at the casino and resort.

Casino Workers Vote On Strike Authorization?

Apparently, the new collective bargaining agreement for workers at all three Detroit Casinos is being negotiated, and the unionized casino workers (including dealers) are voting to authorize a strike to begin October 16, 2007.

At least, that is what WDIV-TV is reporting. I have found no coverage of this issue elsewhere, and the local broadcast media has the journalistic chops of a junior high monthly student newspaper, so I guess until I get more verification, take this with a grain of salt. WDIV-TV has a video report up on this story as well.

Soaring Eagle Discloses Conceptual Plans For Major Expansion

The Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant has released conceptual plans for a major expansion that feature additional gaming, as well as resort features that range from the practical (water park), to the fantastical (indoor ski hill). The conceptual site plan shows expansion in multiple geographic directions by the casino.

Of course, whether these plans are realistic, or merely Microsoft-like vaporware, remains to be seen.

It's hard to argue with the success of the Soaring Eagle Casino, or the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, however.

As Predicted By Michigan Casino Blog, Emergency Appeal of TRO Disappears

As predicted by Michigan Casino Blog, the appeal by the Michigan Gaming Control Board of Judge William Giovan's Temporary Restraining Order preventing the State of Michigan from forcing the closure of the three Detroit casinos in the event of a government shutdown has disappeared from the Michigan Court of Appeals active docket, having been dismissed by the stipulation of the parties.

MGM Grand Detroit Poker Room Features Several Game Options

The new smoke-free poker room located on the third floor of the MGM Grand Detroit Casino features the following game choices: Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, Limit Hold 'Em, and No Limit Hold 'Em.

Rave Reviews Pouring In On New MGM Grand Detroit Casino

The local press is unable to control the gushing flavor of the reviews of the new MGM Grand Detroit Casino.

The Detroit News has another description of the new casino, as well as an article regarding the grand opening festivities at the predictably packed casino.

The Detroit Free Press also covered the grand opening.

MGM Grand Detroit Casino Receives Regulatory Approval To Open

The Michigan Gaming Control Board approved the opening of the MGM Grand Detroit Casino, removing the last regulatory hurdle to the opening of the $800 million, one million square foot casino, hotel, and resort in the City of Detroit. The casino is scheduled to open this evening, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

How Do You Spell Irony Again?

Mayor Kilpatrick is hosting a national mayoral summit to strategize how to prevent homeowners from losing their homes to mortgage foreclosure. Where is he holding the summit, you might ask? Coleman A. Young Municipal Center conference room? Neighborhood City Hall?

Nope. MGM Grand Detroit Casino. How perfect.

Opening of MGM Grand Detroit Casino Receives National Coverage

The grand opening today of the MGM Grand Detroit Casino and hotel complex is receiving widespread national media coverage. Stories regarding the casino's opening appear in (among other publications), USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post. Most of the articles, surprisingly, are either neutral, or positive in their coverage of the City of Detroit.

Two New Casinos, And A Major Expansion

In the next few days, Michigan Casino Blog will provide more details regarding two new casinos under construction in southwest Michigan, the Gun Lake Casino, and the Firekeepers Casino.

In addition, details regarding the proposed expansion of the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant will receive full coverage.

Stay tuned for more details on these three casinos.

MGM Grand Detroit Poker Room To Be Smoke-Free

The Detroit News, in its rundown of the new MGM Grand Detroit Casino, which opens Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at approximately 11:59pm, reveals more information regarding the new poker room. Most significantly, the eight table poker room will be smoke-free.

Emergency Appeal Of Temporary Restraining Order Likely Moot, As State Shutdown Averted

Expect the Michigan Court of Appeals to dismiss as moot the emergency appeal by the Michigan Attorney General's Office of Wayne County Circuit Judge William Giovan's Temporary Restraining Order prohibiting the State of Michigan Gaming Control Board from requiring the closure of the three Detroit Casinos, as the state government shutdown has been ended after approximately four hours. It is also possible that the Attorney General's Office may withdraw the appeal as it is now moot.

MGM Grand Detroit and Four Winds Casino Added To Our Companion Site

We have added information regarding Four Winds Casino and the permanent MGM Grand Detroit Casino, which is adding a poker room for the first time, to our companion site, Michigan Poker Resources. We will be adding important new content and information to Michigan Poker Resources in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

State of Michigan Files Emergency Appeal of Temporary Restraining Order Preventing Closure of Casinos

The State of Michigan filed on Friday, September 28, 2007 an emergency appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals, seeking an immediate hearing to vacate the Temporary Restraining Order issued earlier that afternoon by Wayne County Circuit Judge William Giovan.

The Detroit Free Press account does not indicate when a response from the Court of Appeals can be expected. The Detroit News account indicates that the Court of Appeals is expected to review the matter on Monday, October 1, 2007, based upon a quote from a spokesperson for the Michigan Attorney General's Office. Michigan Poker Blog has investigated the docket entries on the Michigan Court of Appeals' website, and learned that an answer is due from the casinos before 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 1, 2007. Such a scheduling demand from the Court of Appeals Clerk's Office indicates that a response can be expected from the Michigan Court of Appeals on the same day.

Casinos To Remain Open, Judge Rules

Judge William Giovan issued a temporary restraining order preventing the State of Michigan from ordering the three Detroit casinos to close in the event of a government shutdown. That state government shutdown looks more likely, as 35,000 state employees received layoff notices this afternoon.

Hearing Scheduled For 2:00 p.m. Today On Casinos Suit

A hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. this afternoon before Wayne County Circuit Judge William Giovan on the three Detroit casinos' request to enjoin the Michigan Gaming Control Board order to shut down unless there is a resolution to the state budget impasse.

Casinos To Sue State To Stay Open

All three Detroit casinos have indicated they will file suit against the State of Michigan this morning to obtain an injunction allowing the casinos to stay open in the event the state government shuts down at midnight on Sunday.

Standish Casino Receives Name

The new Indian casino being built in Standish, Michigan, by the Saginaw Chippewa tribe (operators of Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant) has been named Saganing Eagle's Landing Casino. It is unlikely the new casino will feature a live poker room at its opening.

MGM Grand Plans To Open Hotel And Restaurants Even If Casino Forced To Close

In the event the state budget impasse causes a government shutdown, which would cause the three Detroit casinos to be forced to close, the MGM Grand Detroit hotel and restaurants would open on Wednesday, according to a casino spokesperson.

Detroit Casinos (And ONLY Detroit Casinos) May Close If State Government Shuts Down

As part of the budget impasse confronting the State of Michigan, it is possible (now approaching likely) that the State of Michigan governmental services may shut down on Sunday, September 30, 2007 at midnight.

If that occurs, the State has indicated that the Detroit Casinos, which are overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, would be required to shut down on October 1, 2007.

Among other impacts, this would likely delay the grand opening of the MGM Grand Detroit casino, currently scheduled to open at 11:59pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2007.

Because the Indian casinos do not have oversight by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, all Indian casinos would be allowed to remain open.

New MGM Grand To Feature Live Poker Room

MGM Grand becomes the last of the three Detroit casinos to open a live poker room. In its new casino, the MGM Grand will feature a non-smoking poker room featuring eight tables, located on the third floor of the new casino. Although the common consensus is that MGM Grand will dominate the Detroit casino scene in overall revenues, an eight table poker room will still place MGM Grand firmly in third place in its dedication of space to live poker, as both Greektown Casino and MotorCity Casino feature significantly larger live poker rooms.

New MGM Grand Detroit Casino To Open At 11:59pm on October 2, 2007

The "temporary" MGM Grand casino in Detroit will be closing at 6:00pm on Sunday, September 30, 2007, and the permanent casino, named the MGM Grand Detroit Casino, will be opening across the street two days later. The Detroit Free Press has a good rundown of the new casino's details. The Detroit News has a brief Q & A with a publicist for the casino.