Two Detroit Casinos Will Mandate Masks, Regardless of Vaccination Status

MGM Grand and MotorCity Casino in Detroit will mandate masks for all patrons who visit their premises, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not. This new rule will be in effect today (Tuesday, November 23) at noon.

The New Rule Is the Outcome of the Face Mask Advisory

Mask requirements at these two casinos are the outcome of the Face Mask Advisory, which was issued on November 19 by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. However, it is worth noting that MotorCity has one exception to this rule.

Guests that are attending Sound Board events or banquets will not be required to wear masks. Traffic at these two casinos is likely to decrease this period as people will look for alternatives.

One of those alternatives is online gambling, especially for sports fans. In the month of October, Michigan had record-breaking figures in online wagering. As the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), October managed to edge out the previous record, which was $359.5 million and was set in March.

FanDuel recorded a total sports betting handle of $124 million, which is a 26.8% share of the market. DraftKings, which held the number 1 spot in the two months prior to FanDuel’s takeover, came in second with a $120 million handle or 26% of the market. BetMGM closed off the top three with a $102.2 million handle, which equals to 22.1% market share. Back in March, BetMGM also became the official gaming partner of the Detroit Tigers.

All Three Casinos in Detroit Were Closed For Six Months in 2020

Due to the pandemic, all three casinos in Detroit had to close their doors for a total of six months back in 2020. As of right now, even though MGM Resorts and MotorCity have announced the rules concerning mask mandates, the third casino in the city – Greektown Casino, is yet to announce one.

In a statement, MGM Resorts shared a few details on wearing masks at its premises. It says that if any guest wants to visit its casino, a face mask must be worn at all times, except for when they are “actively eating or drinking.” Moreover, if the guest does not have a mask, one will be provided after he or she enters MGM’s casino floor.

Detroit Tries to Improve Vaccination Rates

Even though the rate of new cases and deaths in Michigan has been on the decline recently, winter is just around the corner, which means that the region will likely experience another surge in cases. Oakland County has the lowest rate of new COVID-19 infections, but that is not the case with Detroit and Macomb County, which are far more vulnerable in case of a new surge. This is tied to the rate of vaccination, which is higher in Oakland (almost 75%) than in Detroit (46.8%) and Macomb (63.7%).

The problem in Detroit is not access to vaccines, but federal distrust. Barb Roethler, Detroit Health Department spokeswoman, told Metro Times that the organization has been aggressive about getting vaccinated and has done everything to make the process easy. Roethler added that there is a massive hesitancy when it comes to getting vaccinated due to a lack of accurate information. As she points out, a lot of the misinformation comes from social media.