MGM Grand Detroit to layoff over 1,000 workers furloughed due to COVID-19 pandemic
Less than a month after being able to reopen its doors to a partial crowd, MGM Grand Casino said it will be permanently laying off 1,100 workers who had been furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MGM Grand Casino was forced to close in mid-March, just weeks before the start of the NCAA Tournament and the first one where betting on sports was legal in Michigan. What could have been one of the most profitable springs in history turned into one where they made less than half.
As spring turned to summer, MGM Grand and every other non-tribal casino in Michigan waited for the governor's orders allowing them to reopen. That happened on Aug. 5 with only 15% capacity allowed, among other limitations.
That wasn't enough to save more than 1,100 workers at MGM Grand.
MGM Resorts International, which owns the casino, will lay off 18,000 of its furloughed workers across the U.S. while still providing health benefits through the end of September.
When Michigan's three casinos - MGM Grand, Greektown, MotorCity Casino - were finally given the go-ahead, they had already lost over $300 million for the year.
The lost revenue also means there was a $25.8 million decrease in tax payments to the state as well.
The rules include capacity limits, entrance points, temperature checks, and a ban on smoking on casino floors:
- Limit of 15 percent the legal capacity at each casino
- Limited entrance points with temperature checks
- A ban on smoking on the casino floors
- No poker rooms
- Heightened cleaning protocols
- Social distancing