Poker rooms at Detroit’s three casinos will be allowed to reopen after being closed for more than nine months due to Covid-19. The rooms will operate under health and safety rules in compliance with orders from the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Detroit’s casinos were shut down in mid-March and briefly reopened in August, but without poker. When the casinos reopened in December, poker was not offered.
MGM Grand Detroit’s poker room reopened Friday, January 22. Manager of Poker Operations Keith Frankel sent an email to customers noting, “It is my pleasure to announce the reopening of the MGM Grand Detroit Poker Room. We’re keeping the health and safety of our guests and employees at the forefront of all we do.”
The room is open 24/7. New limits include only five available tables arranged with social distancing, and up to eight players per table, down from the usual nine. Plexiglass dividers separate players’ seats. Masks are mandatory. Cards and chips are frequently sanitized. Only cash games are offered and no tournaments will be held. Also, there is no food and beverage service.
In September, MotorCity and Greektown casinos announced their poker rooms were reopening. However, the Michigan Gaming Control Board had not approved safety plans so the rooms remained closed until now. MotorCity is the most popular poker room in Detroit among dedicated players. A spokesman for Greektown said it plans to reopen its poker room in the next “few weeks.”
