Live Updates: All But One Michigan Casino Reopened After Second COVID-19 Closure
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After undergoing a second closure due to the coronavirus, only one of Michigan’s casinos remains closed, as all the others have now reopened.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a new order on Nov. 18, leading to the closure of the three Detroit casinos.
Last week, Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino were given permission to resume operations. An exciting addition, Greektown introduced its newly launched Barstool Sportsbook during its reopening on Wednesday evening.
In order to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Michigan, the casinos underwent a temporary closure lasting for three weeks. This initial shutdown has now been extended until December 20th.
Since the initial COVID-19 shutdown in March, the Kings Club Casino in Brimley has remained closed, making it the sole casino in the area that is not operational. However, its counterpart, Bay Mills Casino, located just two miles away, continues to welcome guests.
The latest state guidelines permit the reopening of Detroit casinos, subject to specific conditions and health and safety measures. Meanwhile, tribal casinos have either chosen to temporarily close or implemented additional restrictions on gaming and entertainment activities at their premises.
For the second time this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of casinos. In Detroit, the casinos closed on March 16, just five days after the launch of Michigan sports betting, and remained shut for a period of five months until early August. Following their reopening, the Detroit casinos operated under strict safety measures, including a 15% capacity limit, which remained in effect until last week.
Stay informed about the most recent updates on casino closures, restrictions, and reopenings through Playinmichigan. Here is the information we currently have.
Michigan casinos closing due to COVID-19 pandemic (updates)
Dec. 28 updates
10:30 a.m. — All but one of Michigan’s casinos are now reopened
As 2021 approaches, the Bay Mills Casino in Brimley resumed operations on Monday morning, leaving only one casino in the state yet to reopen.
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Since the original shutdown in March, the Bay Mills sister property across town, Kings Club Casino, has remained closed, making it the only casino that is currently not open.
Last week saw the reopening of all casinos in Detroit.
Dec. 22 updates
3:30 p.m. — PNG: Greektown Casino will open Wednesday night instead
Greektown Casino, previously set to open on Thursday, has now revised its plans and will be opening on Wednesday night.
During the announcement of the permanent Barstool Sportsbook at the casino, Jeff Morris from Penn National Gaming, the parent company, confirmed that the casino will commence operations at 9 p.m. this Wednesday.
10:15 a.m. — Greektown Casino will open Thursday for Christmas Eve
Detroit’s final casino has declared intentions to reopen on Christmas Eve.
After the Wednesday reopening of its city counterparts, Greektown Casino is set to reopen on Thursday. As of Tuesday, no information regarding the specific areas or the exact time of the reopening has been provided yet.
Upon reopening, the permanent Barstool Sportsbook at the Penn National Gaming casino has been teasing progress and may be prepared for action.
Keep an eye on Playinmichigan for further updates on Greektown and Barstool Sportsbook.
Dec. 21 updates
4 p.m. — Upper Peninsula’s Bay Mills Casino will reopen next week
Another Michigan casino has revealed its intentions to reopen while we await updates on Detroit’s Greektown Casino.
On December 28th, at 10 a.m., Bay Mills Casino in Brimley of the Upper Peninsula is set to resume operations.
Poker, craps, and roulette games will not be available, and there will be no drink service provided on the casino floor.
Since the initial COVID-19 shutdown in March, Kings Club Casino, which is the sister property of Bay Mills, has remained closed.
9 a.m. — MGM Grand Detroit reopening at 5 p.m. Wednesday
The MGM Grand Detroit has recently announced its reopening plans, making it the second casino in Detroit to do so. They have set a 5 p.m. start time for Wednesday.
The BetMGM Sportsbook is set to open on Wednesday, but the table games will only be available from 8 a.m. Saturday. Unfortunately, food and beverage service will not be provided temporarily, following state regulations.
MotorCity Casino’s 1 p.m. reopening was announced on Monday morning, just one day prior.
Dec. 20 updates
2:30 p.m. — MotorCity Casino will open at 1 p.m. Wednesday
This week, the initial casino in Detroit has disclosed its plans for reopening.
1 p.m. on Wednesday marks the reopening of MotorCity Casino, as announced by the establishment.
Greektown Casino and MGM Grand Detroit have not yet announced their plans.
Dec. 18 updates
2:30 p.m. — New statewide directives clear way for Detroit casinos to open Monday
On Friday, Governor Whitmer declared an extension of COVID-19 restrictions in Michigan, while granting permission for the Detroit casinos to resume operations starting Monday.
Although Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino are permitted to resume operations, none of them have made any announcements regarding their plans for reopening.
The following are the restrictions:
- Attendance in fixed seating areas is restricted to a maximum of 20% capacity.
- In non-fixed seating areas, attendance should be limited to 20 individuals per 1,000 square feet.
- No food and drink.
- There is a maximum limit of 100 people allowed in each room.
Dec. 15 updates
1 p.m. — Bay Mills extends closure until Dec. 28
This year, a tribal casino located in the Upper Peninsula will unfortunately be deprived of holiday gambling.
The closure of Bay Mills Casino in Brimley has been extended until the morning of Dec. 28, resulting in the unfortunate loss of gaming opportunities during the Christmas holiday weekend.
Dec. 8 updates
4:45 p.m. — Little River, Kewadin Casinos reopening Wednesday morning
The reopening of Little River Casino Resort in Manistee is scheduled for Wednesday morning, coinciding with the reopening of five Kewadin Casinos located in the Upper Peninsula of the state.
According to the casino’s announcement, slots will be available at 8 a.m., and table games will commence at 10 a.m. The casino will cease operations at midnight.
Throughout each day, sportsbook kiosks will remain open; however, the River Rock Sportsbook & Grill bar will only be open specifically on Saturdays and Sundays.
On Wednesday, Kewadin’s five locations will be opening their doors at 9 a.m. However, it is important to note that table games will not be available at any of these locations.
You can find comprehensive information about the reopenings on their official website.
The Bay Mills and Kings Club casinos in Brimley, as well as the three Detroit casinos, are still not open.
Dec. 7 updates
3 p.m. — Governor announces extension of Detroit casino closure
On Monday afternoon, Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared that certain businesses in Michigan, including the three casinos in Detroit, will remain closed until December 20th.
Since November 18, Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino have remained closed.
We will inquire with tribal casinos throughout the state for any new information. Kewadin Casinos, which operates five casinos in the Upper Peninsula, is still scheduled to resume operations on Wednesday.
Dec. 4 updates
11 a.m. — Bay Mills Casino extends closure another week
The closure of Bay Mills Casino in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, specifically the Brimley facility, has been extended until December 18th, surpassing the original planned reopening date by an additional week.
Bay Mills Indian Community Chairman Bryan Newland mentioned on Facebook that there is a possibility of us reviewing this matter on a weekly basis until the year concludes.
As of now, there is no information available regarding the reopening plans in Detroit, as the current health department restrictions are set to expire next week.
Dec. 3 updates
9 a.m. — Face shields no longer enough at Odawa
On Monday, Odawa Casino made an announcement stating that they will cease to accept face shields as a valid face covering for both guests and team members.
As per a recent Facebook post by the Petoskey casino, face shields are no longer permitted unless they are worn alongside a cloth mask or neck gaiter for added protection.
Nov. 30 updates
1 p.m. — Caesars Windsor temporarily closes
As of midnight early Monday morning, Caesars Windsor, situated just across the border from Detroit, has temporarily shut down.
According to CBC reports, Windsor-Essex is transitioning to the red, or control, level of Ontario’s COVID-19 response.
Nov. 23 updates
Noon — Little River becomes 11th Michigan casino to close
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Little River Casino Resort in Manistee has become the newest Michigan casino to shut down.
The casino will be closed starting from Sunday and is expected to remain closed until December 9th.
Which casinos are closed in Michigan right now?
Last week, Detroit’s three casinos, namely Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino, were ordered to close by the state’s health department until December 8. However, the closure has now been extended until December 20.
The autonomous tribes are responsible for operating tribal casinos, and they are not under the governance of Whitmer. Among the closed casinos in Michigan are those operated by tribal communities.
- After being closed for a period of three weeks, the Little River Casino located in Manistee successfully reopened on December 9th.
- The Bay Mills Resort in Brimley was temporarily shut down until December 28th, but resumed operations on the same day.
- Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Kings Club Casino in Brimley has remained closed since March.
- After a three-week closure, the five Kewadin Casinos located in the Upper Peninsula successfully reopened on December 9th.
The closure of Bay Mills Casino in Brimley was initially announced on Wednesday at noon, with plans to reopen on December 11. However, the closure was later extended.
Which casinos are open in Michigan right now?
There are still fifteen tribal casinos operating.
- FireKeepers Casino, Battle Creek
- Dowagiac, Hartford, and New Buffalo are the three locations of Four Winds Casinos.
- Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
- Island Resort Casino, Harris
- Leelanau Sands, Peshawbestown
- The casino resort located in Watersmeet is known as Northern Waters Casino Resort.
- Mackinaw City and Petoskey, the Odawa Casinos
- The casinos in Ojibwa, Baraga and Marquette.
- Saganing Eagles Landing, Standish
- Mount Pleasant is home to the renowned Soaring Eagle Casino Resort.
- Turtle Creek, Williamsburg
The announcement made on Facebook by Soaring Eagle Casino Resort in Mount Pleasant confirmed their decision to keep the establishment open.
A statement mentioned that if any new information arises that contradicts our current decision, we will reconsider it. Furthermore, we will consistently assess and modify protocols across all aspects of our operation as necessary.
Additionally, FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek has announced its intentions to remain open.
In addition to remaining open, Odawa Casino, known for its establishments in Petoskey and Mackinaw City, intends to continue operating.
Detroit casinos reopened on Christmas week
Whitmer’s outlined closures include high schools, in-person dining, theaters, and group fitness classes, which all commenced in November as part of the statewide closure.
Despite experiencing a second shutdown in 2020, Greektown, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino successfully reopened just in time for Christmas.
Detroit casinos generated a total revenue of $101.4 million in October, contributing $7.6 million in tax revenue to the state of Michigan and $11.2 million in revenue to the city of Detroit.
