MGM Casino looking shabby

**Detroitdave** · August-26-19, 03:33 PM

I've visited MGM casino several times recently and the place is starting to look and smell shabby.
When it was first built they would program the corner on Bagley at the lodge during holidays and though out the year , now nothing, it seems like they are just "calling it in".
When you walk in from the garage it's not welcoming at all, dirty, dirty windows , cigarettes butts all over the place.
Compared to the their other properties in Las Vegas, it's sad.
It's seems like they are just raking in the cash from Detroit and putting very little into their Detroit property.
Just my observations. Any thoughts ?

**313WX** · August-26-19, 03:51 PM

MGM has been comtemplating selling their stake in the Detroit casino for a while.

**Richard** · August-26-19, 04:28 PM

MGM stock has had little change or stale in the last few years outside of a few dollars up or down,so they are going to have to do something or another to show growth.

Maybe compare revenues with motor city and that may be an insite as to weather it is keepable?

**Gistok** · August-26-19, 04:34 PM

The market share of Detroit's 3 casinos....

MGM - 43%
MotorCity - 34%
Greektown - 23%

As for cigarette butts... the Detroit casinos are the only 3 businesses in Michigan [[off-reservation) that allow smoking.

**jcole** · August-26-19, 05:33 PM

If the people that frequent the casino didn’t flick their ashes in the chairs and on the floor and on the machines and everywhere else and also sit at the machines and eat smelly food that they’re not supposed to be doing it would be a lot nicer place. It’s a pigsty largely because people are pigs. They spilled drinks all over and don’t have people come and wipe them off. They mess up the bathrooms they don’t flush if the flusher doesn’t work automatically. They throw toilet paper on the floors it is god awful. But I wouldn’t really blame it on the casino. It’s the people who go there. Another part of the problem is that the casinos escaped the smoking ban that every other business has to adhere to.

**Pam** · August-27-19, 06:34 AM

My thoughts- send a complaint in to management.

**Dan Wesson** · August-27-19, 07:34 AM

You can bet the back of the house is just as worn, dirty, and unkempt if not more so than thefront of the house.

**DetroitSoldier** · August-27-19, 08:19 AM

Interesting. The last time I was there about a month ago I commented to a friend on how it looked as clean as ever, almost as if it was brand new. I guess I was not paying close enough attention or I caught them on a good day. Of our three casinos it seems to me that Motor City is the most well kept [[ironically).

**softailrider** · August-27-19, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

If the people that frequent the casino didn’t flick their ashes in the chairs and on the floor and on the machines and everywhere else and also sit at the machines and eat smelly food that they’re not supposed to be doing it would be a lot nicer place. It’s a pigsty largely because people are pigs. They spilled drinks all over and don’t have people come and wipe them off. They mess up the bathrooms they don’t flush if the flusher doesn’t work automatically. They throw toilet paper on the floors it is god awful. But I wouldn’t really blame it on the casino. It’s the people who go there. Another part of the problem is that the casinos escaped the smoking ban that every other business has to adhere to.

I think some of the slovenly behavior might stem from the fact that most people lose their money and feel they can do whatever they want short of getting thrown out.

**bartocktoo** · August-27-19, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The market share of Detroit's 3 casinos....

MGM - 43%
MotorCity - 34%
Greektown - 23%

As for cigarette butts... the Detroit casinos are the only 3 businesses in Michigan [[off-reservation) that allow smoking.

My casino experience here has been twice to Greektown. BUT, no matter what MGM smells like or anything else, it is a fact that our casinos have always relied on locals more than tourists anyway and my personal impression just from living here is that people here that go to casino go to MGM Grand when they go anywhere. And they still do. And they still will. So I doubt it's some harbinger of trouble that the place has gotten worse smell or appearance wise. The people they get their business from...locals...will still go.

**Detroitdave** · August-27-19, 12:04 PM

Strange you mention that. Today I got an email regarding my last visit to MGM Grand and I let them know what I thought of their Detroit property.
Hopefully they will listen. I use to believe MGM was the better of the three casinos in the city, not anymore.
When I had visitors in town that wanted to go to a casino I would take them to MGM , now it's embarrassing.

Originally Posted by Pam

My thoughts- send a complaint in to management.

**jcole** · August-27-19, 02:22 PM

It's their choice to lose their money there; that doesn't mean you get to trash the place. No one stole it from them. You would think that if they spend that much time there, they'd want it to be a nice place to go broke.

Originally Posted by softailrider

I think some of the slovenly behavior might stem from the fact that most people lose their money and feel they can do whatever they want short of getting thrown out.

**EastsideAl** · August-28-19, 10:07 AM

The casino business is struggling pretty much everywhere these days. Revenues are declining and many casinos are falling short of even their reduced profit targets while an increasing number are in trouble or closing up entirely. I was just reading an article a few days ago about the struggles of once-growing casinos in upstate New York, some of which are giving up the business entirely. Atlantic City has mostly crashed and burned, and casinos in other large cities like Baltimore are in trouble.

The casino business has become an increasingly downscale one, with a poorer and mostly aging clientele and an even greater dependence on a small core of addicted gamblers for their profit margins. The days of upscale travel to casino areas and glitzy amenities are mostly over, and younger people are mostly uninterested in their attraction and in gambling away what little money they have. In a declining revenue scenario one of the first things that's going to slip is staffing for regular cleaning and maintenance.

**401don** · August-28-19, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The casino business is struggling pretty much everywhere these days. Revenues are declining and many casinos are falling short of even their reduced profit targets while an increasing number are in trouble or closing up entirely. I was just reading an article a few days ago about the struggles of once-growing casinos in upstate New York, some of which are giving up the business entirely. Atlantic City has mostly crashed and burned, and casinos in other large cities like Baltimore are in trouble.

The casino business has become an increasingly downscale one, with a poorer and mostly aging clientele and an even greater dependence on a small core of addicted gamblers for their profit margins. The days of upscale travel to casino areas and glitzy amenities are mostly over, and younger people are mostly uninterested in their attraction and in gambling away what little money they have. In a declining revenue scenario one of the first things that's going to slip is staffing for regular cleaning and maintenance.

We were in downtown Buffalo last week with a couple of hours to kill before a Mudhens game. There's a small casino nearby so we went in for an hour. I didn't even know Buffalo had a casino but I guess every city does now. It was very empty on a Wed. afternoon and almost all of the slots were penny ones.

**Dan Wesson** · August-28-19, 03:02 PM

Another reason is aging structures, aging plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical systems. Fixtures that are now obsolete.

One aspect that I didn't consider was this concept of the loss of people with "institutional knowledge".

There is a reason why in Vegas they tear 'em down and start over.

**Gistok** · August-28-19, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dan Wesson

Another reason is aging structures, aging plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical systems. Fixtures that are now obsolete.

One aspect that I didn't consider was this concept of the loss of people with "institutional knowledge".

There is a reason why in Vegas they tear 'em down and start over.

The MGM Grand is only 12 years old... opened in 2007.

The reason that in Las Vegas they keep tearing down buildings is not because they're like Worlds Fair Buildings only meant to last for a few years... they're replaced/rebuilt because the market demanded larger and fancier buildings to stay competitive. Some casino/hotels in Las Vegas cost billions to build.

The MGM Grand Detroit Casino cost about $800 million to build. Even the Temporary Casino cost $212 million to renovate the old IRS Building [[and is today the Detroit Police HQ).

So they didn't skimp on materials or construction costs. They used quality materials.

If 12 years old MGM means ageing infrastructure... I'd hate to see the rest of downtown's Buildings... they're all older than than.

**softailrider** · August-28-19, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The casino business is struggling pretty much everywhere these days. Revenues are declining and many casinos are falling short of even their reduced profit targets while an increasing number are in trouble or closing up entirely. I was just reading an article a few days ago about the struggles of once-growing casinos in upstate New York, some of which are giving up the business entirely. Atlantic City has mostly crashed and burned, and casinos in other large cities like Baltimore are in trouble.

The casino business has become an increasingly downscale one, with a poorer and mostly aging clientele and an even greater dependence on a small core of addicted gamblers for their profit margins. The days of upscale travel to casino areas and glitzy amenities are mostly over, and younger people are mostly uninterested in their attraction and in gambling away what little money they have. In a declining revenue scenario one of the first things that's going to slip is staffing for regular cleaning and maintenance.

Last time I was at a casino here was on a Saturday about 5 weeks ago. Not sure of it was GreekTown or Motor City. I was kind of surprised how many 5.00 Blackjack tables were open. Maybe business is down.......

**Pinewood73** · August-28-19, 08:21 PM

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...18/2514636002/

Haven’t been in the casinos in a while, but according to the freep they’re not exactly hurting for money.

**Gistok** · August-29-19, 03:01 AM

Originally Posted by Pinewood73

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...18/2514636002/

Haven’t been in the casinos in a while, but according to the freep they’re not exactly hurting for money.

Yes, can't speak for the casinos in ever expanding other states.... but in Detroit the 3 casinos are doing record breaking business....

**Ray1936** · August-29-19, 10:16 AM

Meanwhile, here in Las Vegas, Business is booming. https://www.reviewjournal.com/busine...month-1836100/

**Zacha341** · August-29-19, 01:09 PM

They also don't care about folks having and pulling oxygen canisters as folk puff on. The all-mighty dollar allows that!

Originally Posted by Gistok

...As for cigarette butts... the Detroit casinos are the only 3 businesses in Michigan [[off-reservation) that allow smoking.

**Gistok** · August-29-19, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

They also don't care about folks having and pulling oxygen canisters as folk puff on. The all-mighty dollar allows that!

Many of the oxygen canister carriers also puff on!!

**jcole** · August-29-19, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Many of the oxygen canister carriers also puff on!!

You should see the ones who take off their masks to take a puff and then put it back on only to puff again a few minutes later.

**scarecrow** · August-29-19, 02:53 PM

Well after almost a year they just put up another billboard down by Cadillac Square.

**Zacha341** · August-29-19, 03:41 PM

As a former cigg smoker [[and former casino gambler) I can't begin to tell you how irrationale smoking can be even in the throes of lung disease etc.

Though as a smoker I wasn't fond of that high level of smoke especially at Motor City. But when you're gambling you adapt to alot.

Originally Posted by jcole

You should see the ones who take off their masks to take a puff and then put it back on only to puff again a few minutes later.