Hollywood Casino at Greektown, formerly Greektown Casino-Hotel, is a casino hotel in the

Greektown Greektown is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Greeks or people of Greek ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. History The oldest Greek dominated neighborhood outside of Greece were probably the Fener in Istanb ...

neighborhood in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by

Penn Entertainment Penn Entertainment, Inc., formerly Penn National Gaming, is an American entertainment company and operator of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming. It operates 43 properties in 20 states, online sports betting in 14 jurisd ...

. The casino opened in 2000, under the majority ownership of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. It was the only casino in Detroit controlled by a Native American tribe. In 2008, during the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...

, the casino went into bankruptcy and was sold. Hollywood Casino is one of three casinos in the city; there is also a casino in nearby

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...

. Detroit is one of the largest American cities to offer casino hotels.Mink, Randy, and Karen Mink (July 2001). "Detroit Turns 300 – Detroit 300 Festival". ''Travel America'', World Publishing Co., Gale Group.

History and development

GreektownCasinohotelandStMaryRCChurchDetroit

Shortly after the enactment of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988, the

Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (pronounced "Soo Saint Marie", oj, Baawiting Anishinaabeg), commonly shortened to Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians or the more colloquial Soo Tribe, is a federally recognized Native American tribe in ...

began working with local developers Ted Gatzaros and Jim Papas to open a casino in Detroit. In November 1992, they announced their plan publicly.
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Under the plan, Gatzaros and Papas's company, 400 Monroe Associates, would donate a parcel of land in Greektown to become part of the tribe's reservation, and the tribe would build and operate the casino. Detroit voters approved an advisory referendum in favor of the casino in August 1994, as well as another casino proposed to be built at Atwater Street. The plan was approved by the

Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to: * Secretary of the Interior (Mexico) * Interior Secretary of Pakistan * Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) * United States Secretary of the Interior See also *Interior ministry An ...

later that month. However, it also needed approval from Michigan Governor John Engler, because the IGRA required gubernatorial approval for gaming on lands added to a tribe's reservation after 1988. Engler rejected the casino, citing potential proliferation of off-reservation casinos throughout the state. The tribe next turned to the

ballot initiative In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a p ...

process. They partnered with the Atwater group to sponsor the

Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act The Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act, passed by Michigan voters in 1996 as Proposal E and then expanded and signed into law as the Public Act 69 of 1997, allows non- Native American casino gaming in Michigan. The proposal was approved by 51 ...

.
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This law would allow up to three private, commercially operated casinos to be opened in Detroit. It included a preference for proposals that had already been approved by Detroit voters, making the Greektown and Atwater projects the "presumptive choices" for two of the casino licenses. The petition drive and election campaign were financed almost entirely by the Sault Tribe and Atwater. Michigan voters approved the law in November 1996. The Greektown casino was one of eleven applications submitted to Detroit mayor

Dennis Archer Dennis Wayne Archer (born January 1, 1942) is an American lawyer, jurist and former politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served as Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit. He later served as president of the A ...

. The $567-million proposal would include a temporary casino to open in 1998, followed by a permanent casino opening in 2000 with of gaming space and 1,000 hotel rooms. The temporary casino was designed by architect

Paul Steelman Paul Curtis Steelman (born September 23, 1955), a native of Atlantic City, New Jersey, is an American architect who is recognized as a designer of global entertainment, hospitality, and gaming architecture based in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nev ...

. It would be managed by the Las Vegas-based Millennium Management Group. In December 1997, Archer selected the Greektown proposal, along with the Atwater project (ultimately opened as MotorCity Casino Hotel) and the proposed

MGM Grand Detroit The MGM Grand Detroit is one of three casino resort hotels in Detroit, Michigan, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The casino opened in its temporary locati ...

. Construction of the casino began in January 1999. It incorporated Trappers Alley, a vacant shopping center owned by Gatzaros and Papas, together with a new building. Costs of the casino, originally estimated at $115 million, increased to $200 million. Ownership of the casino was to be split with 50 percent owned by the Sault Tribe, 40 percent by Gatzaros and Papas and their wives, and 10 percent by a group of local black investors. However, gaming regulators found problems during Gatzaros and Papas's background checks, and they were effectively forced to sell their shares. Negotiations were held with potential buyers including Millennium Management,

Harrah's Entertainment Harrah's Entertainment (later named Caesars Entertainment Corporation, previously The Promus Companies) was an American casino and hotel company founded in Reno, Nevada, and based in Paradise, Nevada, that operated over 50 properties and seven ...

, MGM Grand, and Park Place Entertainment. Advanced talks were held on selling the shares to a group of union pension funds. Ultimately, the tribe bought out the Gatzaroses and Papases' shares for $275 million, to be paid over 10 years. The casino licensing was approved in September 2000, with the tribe owning a 90 percent stake. The Greektown Casino opened on November 10, 2000, following the two other casinos that opened the previous year. The tribe ended its management deal with Millennium in 2002 and assumed direct control of the casino. Development of the city's permanent casinos was delayed for years by protracted negotiations over the casinos' locations, and by a lawsuit over the constitutionality of the casino licensing process. In 2002, Greektown agreed with the city to build its $450-million permanent facility on an site at Interstate 375 and Gratiot Avenue. In 2005, however, Greektown announced that it would expand at its current location instead of building a new facility. The $200-million expansion would include a 400-room hotel, a parking garage, convention space, and more gaming space. In June 2006, site preparation began for the hotel. A city-owned parking garage was demolished to make way for redevelopment. Construction began in October 2006. The hotel tower rises 344 ft. (105 m.) with 30 floors. It opened November 15, 2007, and included a new 13-story, 3,500-space, free parking garage. In November 2008, of additional gaming space was completed and opened over Lafayette. Total gaming space comprised . An expanded and re-designed VIP gaming area opened in February 2009. In November 2009, of convention space opened with a newly designed poker room.

Changes in ownership

By late 2007, the casino was in financial trouble, as its debt-to-equity ratio fell below the minimum threshold negotiated with the lenders who financed the expansion. The state threatened to force a sale unless the casino could obtain new financing. In May 2008, Greektown Casino filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to prevent the forced sale. In June 2010, a group of Greektown's bondholders, organized as Greektown Superholdings, Inc., bought the casino out of bankruptcy. John Hancock Financial, OppenheimerFunds, Brigade Capital, and Solus Alternative Asset Management together owned 78% of the company. Rock Gaming, owned by Dan Gilbert, agreed in January 2013 to buy a majority stake in the Greektown Casino. This was part of Gilbert's plan of investment to help revitalize downtown Detroit. In February 2016, it was announced as part of Rock Gaming's rebranding as Jack Entertainment that the property would be renamed to Jack Detroit Casino–Hotel Greektown. Plans for the name change were canceled in March 2018, as Gilbert was planning to sell the property and exit the casino business. In May 2019, Vici Properties and Penn National Gaming (now Penn Entertainment) jointly bought Greektown from Jack Entertainment. Vici paid $700 million for the real estate assets, while Penn National paid $300 million for the operating business. It leased the property from Vici for $56 million per year. In May 2022, the casino was rebranded under Penn National's primary brand, Hollywood Casino. It also completed more than $30 million in Detroit-themed renovations that covered almost every area of this facility. The ongoing renovation and remodeling process includes the remodeled VIP garage with over 700 spaces designed for high-rollers, the hotel lobby, and elevator lobbies. As of 2022, all 400 rooms are in the process of remodeling.

References

External links

*
Emporis profile of Greektown Casino
{{Casinos in Michigan 2000 establishments in Michigan Casinos in Michigan Greektown, Detroit Skyscraper hotels in Detroit Resorts in Michigan Performing arts centers in Michigan Economy of Detroit Casinos completed in 2000 Hotel buildings completed in 2008 Cannery Casino Resorts Tourist attractions in Detroit Casino hotels