DetroitCasinos Generate Nearly $110 Million in Income During April 2025
Detroit's casinos were a rollercoaster of earnings last month, with a total revenue of $109.8 million in April 2025, as reported by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The revenue came primarily from table games, slot machines, and retail sports betting.
After a dramatic surge in March, the casino revenue overall saw a slow start in the Wolverine State. Let's dive into which casinos brought in the most dough and how this affects the taxes paid to the state and city.
Casinos' Market Share in April
Here's the share of the market pie for each casino in April 2025:
- MGM Grand Detroit: Leading the pack with an impressive 47% market share, bringing in $51.1 million, up 2.5% since April 2024.
- MotorCity Casino: Claiming 30% of the market, it generated $33.1 million, also up 1.2% from April 2024.
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: With a 23% share, it earned $25.3 million, down a minuscule 0.2% from the previous year.
MGM Grand Detroit maintains its strong grip on the market.
Table Games and Slot Revenue and Taxes
These games combined brought in a hefty $109.5 million, amounting to a 1.5% increase from April 2024 but recording a 6.3% decrease compared to March 2025. Table games and slot machines accounted for the lion's share of the total revenue.
In terms of revenue growth, here's how each casino fared compared to April 2024:
- MGM Grand Detroit: Up 2.5%, totaling $51.1 million.
- MotorCity Casino: Up 1.2%, totaling $33.1 million.
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: Down 0.2%, totaling $25.3 million.
Springing taxes for the state and city, Detroit's casinos paid a total of $8.9 million in state gaming taxes, increasing from $8.7 million in the previous year. Additionally, $13.0 million was submitted in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit.
Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
The April 2025 retail sports betting handle totaled $9.4 million, resulting in gross receipts of $336,021. However, the qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) from sports betting saw a significant drop of 79.8% compared to April 2024 and a 44.6% decrease compared to March 2025.
Here's how much each casino contributed to the QAGR:
- MGM Grand Detroit: Negative $219,857.
- MotorCity Casino: $223,859.
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $312,536.
Still, retail sports betting managed to cough up taxes of $44,957 for the city.
Fantasy Contests Chipped in
Fantasy contests operators helped boost the gaming ecosystem with a reported total adjusted revenue of $634,191 for March 2025, contributing $53,272 in taxes.
While table games and slots demonstrated resilience, retail sports betting faced challenges to reach previous levels. Nevertheless, the state and city governments continued to reap substantial tax benefits, ensuring ongoing financial support from the gaming industry in Detroit.
MGM Grand Detroit still holds a strong lead in the casino market with a 47% share and an increase in revenue compared to April 2024, while retail sports betting QAGR saw a significant drop compared to the same month last year.
Despite a decrease in retail sports betting revenue, Detroit's casinos collectively paid more taxes in April 2025, amounting to $8.9 million in state gaming taxes and $13.0 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit.
