Detroit Casinos Up 4.5% in October, Hollywood Greektown Gets Facelift as Penn and ESPN Split

Detroit’s three casinos, MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown, recorded combined revenue of $107.4 million in October, slightly up on the previous year’s figure of $102.9 million and representing a year-on-year rise of 4.5%.  

The figures, published by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, reveal that slots and table games accounted for $105.9 million of the combined total, up 2.2% from the previous year’s total of $103.7 million. Retail sports wagering made up the remainder of the revenue, generating $1.6 million in total gross receipts, a 290% increase from October 2024. 

As sports wagering in Detroit experiences a positive month, news has emerged that Hollywood Casino at Greektown will rebrand its sportsbook. On November 6, PENN Entertainment, the owner of the Hollywood Casino brand, and ESPN announced the end of their partnership, effective December 1. With ESPN now out of the picture, the group's ESPN BET brand, currently operating at the Detroit casino, will seek to change its name. 

In a separate development, and at Detroit’s MotorCity Casino instead, NHL fans were excited to learn that the Detroit Red Wings celebrated their 100-year legacy with a four-day fan fest hosted by the casino. Fans were able to enjoy the team’s centennial with an exhibition at MotorCity, showcasing the team’s history with vintage equipment and memorabilia.  

MGM Grand Leads Detroit Casinos in October 

Of Michigan’s three commercial casinos, MGM Grand Detroit paved the way last month, generating the highest revenue for October, as well as experiencing the highest revenue change. Revenue at the casino increased 6.6% year-on-year to $52.7 million, holding a market share of 49% compared to the other two casinos.  

 The only other casino to record a revenue increase was Hollywood Casino at Greektown, which reported stable numbers compared to the previous year. Revenue was only up slightly by 0.8% rising from $22.6 million to $22.7 million. In October, the casino had a 22% market share.  

MotorCity Casino was the odd one out for October, being the only casino to report a year-on-year revenue decline, with revenue dropping from $31.7 million to $30.5 million, a 3.8% decline. Despite this, the casino generated the second-highest revenue for the month, holding a market share of 29%.  

ESPN BET To Be Rebranded at Hollywood Casino at Greektown 

At the beginning of November, ESPN and PENN Entertainment ended their partnership, which began in 2023, after the two groups signed a $2 billion deal for PENN to operate the ESPN BET brand online and at its retail locations.  

With PENN failing to achieve any notable success in the US sports betting market, holding only a 3% share, ESPN decided to part ways with the gambling operator and instead partnered with sportsbook rival DraftKings.  

“Working with DraftKings, a leader in the space, will allow us to build upon that foundation, continue to super-serve passionate sports fans and grow our ESPN direct-to-consumer business,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said in a press release.  

PENN has since said that all ESPN BET-branded sportsbooks would rebrand back to its theScore Bet brand, which already has a foothold in the Ontario-regulated market.  

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