MotorCity Casino
Encyclopedia
MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan
is one of three casino
resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. The $825 million complex incorporates the historic Wagner Baking Company building designed c.1915 by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager
, who went on to design the Roxy Theatre in 1927. As part of the renovation, the decorative terra cotta
elements of this former bread bakery have been restored to their original condition, preserving the signature features of the 94-year old Detroit landmark. IH Gaming (Detroit Entertainment, LLC), doing business as Motor City Casino, is owned by Marian Ilitch
. Ms. Ilitch's husband Michael who is a partner in the Detroit Red Wings
hockey team and owner of the Detroit Tigers
baseball team is prohibited under the rules of Major League Baseball
from owning any interest in gambling establishments. Forbes
reported in October 2006 that the gambling palace has annual revenues of $400+ million and operating income of $125 million, expected to rise to $180 million under the change in tax structure following completion of the resort. Detroit is one of the largest American cities and metropolitan regions to offer casino resort hotels.
of Huntington Beach, California
was a member of the design team and was instrumental in the casino-hotel's new unique exterior and interior look.
, one of the founders of the MotorCity Casino, purchased controlling interest from various minor stockholders and Mandalay Resort Group
(Circus Circus Michigan)/MGM Mirage
in 2005. Michigan gaming laws prohibit one company from owning more than one casino property in a market, so to affect the Mandalay Resort/MGM MIRAGE merger the publicly traded companies had to divest MotorCity Casino, choosing to keep MGM Grand Detroit
. Mrs. Ilitch paid $525 million for Mandalay Resort Group's 53.5 percent interest in the MotorCity Casino enterprise and undertook a $300 million expansion. The acquisition was a merger in which Mandalay controlled Circus Circus Michigan, Inc. was survived by IH Gaming, Inc. MotorCity Casino is not a corporate entity; rather it is a dba for the Ilitch-owned and controlled Detroit Entertainment, LLC.
With Mrs. Ilitch as sole owner, MotorCity Casino Hotel is reportedly one of the largest independently owned casinos in the U.S. and likely the largest and only 100 percent female-owned casino enterprise in the United States
. It is also the only locally-owned casino hotel in the city of Detroit.
Mrs. Ilitch and her husband Michael Ilitch
are co-founders of Little Caesar's Pizza. They are vice chairwoman and chairman respectively of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
which includes the Detroit Red Wings
NHL franchise and various food service and entertainment ventures. Michael Ilitch owns the Detroit Tigers
MLB franchise.
Mrs. Ilitch and a business partner, Michael J. Malik, Sr.
, pursue other casino gambling interests outside of Michigan
. Malik had been a founder of MotorCity Casino but was forced to sell his interests when the Michigan Gaming Control Board would not grant him a license. He sold his shares in MotorCity Casino to Ilitch. Among their other ventures: Gateway Casinos Resorts, LLC partnered with the Shinnecock Indians in the Hamptons
, NY; and Barwest, LLC partners with the Big Lagoon Rancheria
Indians and the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians
to develop casinos in Barstow, California
.
MotorCity's potential should not be underestimated. Just across the river, Caesars Windsor attracts about six million visitors annually. An estimated 46 million people live within a 300 mi (482.8 km) radius of Metro Detroit
. Since 2000, the City has seen continuous annual increases in tax revenues from its casinos; the City estimates it will collect $178,250,000 in casino taxes alone for 2007, with the casino resorts open in 2008.
, reports required by the Federal Election Commission
and the CA, MI and NY Elections Officials from 2002-2006 inidicate Ilitch family members and business partners contributed more than $900,000 to political campaigns and PACs.
Federal lobbying reports required to be filed with Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and compiled by The Center for Public Integrity indicate between $0.5-$1.3 million was directed to Wheat Government Relations (former Congressman Alan Wheat
) the primary D.C. lobbyist representing Ilitch and her various partners contract with to lobby Federal officials on gaming or related matters from 2002-2005.
, Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Union, Teamsters
, Carpenters Union and Operating Engineers Union.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
is one of three casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. The $825 million complex incorporates the historic Wagner Baking Company building designed c.1915 by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager
Walter W. Ahlschlager
Walter W. Ahlschlager was a twentieth century American architect who had his offices in Chicago for many years. Later he established an office in Dallas, Texas...
, who went on to design the Roxy Theatre in 1927. As part of the renovation, the decorative terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
elements of this former bread bakery have been restored to their original condition, preserving the signature features of the 94-year old Detroit landmark. IH Gaming (Detroit Entertainment, LLC), doing business as Motor City Casino, is owned by Marian Ilitch
Marian Bayoff Ilitch
Marian Bayoff Ilitch was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, USA, the daughter of Macedonian immigrants. She met her future husband Mike Ilitch in 1954 when the two went on a blind date arranged by his father. A year later, they were married. They have seven children...
. Ms. Ilitch's husband Michael who is a partner in the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
hockey team and owner of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
baseball team is prohibited under the rules of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from owning any interest in gambling establishments. Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
reported in October 2006 that the gambling palace has annual revenues of $400+ million and operating income of $125 million, expected to rise to $180 million under the change in tax structure following completion of the resort. Detroit is one of the largest American cities and metropolitan regions to offer casino resort hotels.
Casino hotel
Motor City Casino completed its $300 million casino-hotel expansion project in 2007. A 400-room, 33 suite hotel opened in November 2007 and features Iridescence, one of two AAA Four-Diamond restaurants in Detroit, as well as Amnesia, an upscale ultra-lounge, and D. Tour, a full-service spa. The property also offers a 67000 sq ft (6,224.5 m²) meeting/convention center, several casual dining outlets including the Assembly Line Buffet, and Sound Board a 1,500+ seat live entertainment theater. Legendary hot-rod car designer Chip FooseChip Foose
Chip Foose is a hot rod shop owner, automotive designer and fabricator, and former star of the reality TV series Overhaulin on TLC.-Life and career:...
of Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
was a member of the design team and was instrumental in the casino-hotel's new unique exterior and interior look.
History
Marian IlitchMarian Bayoff Ilitch
Marian Bayoff Ilitch was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, USA, the daughter of Macedonian immigrants. She met her future husband Mike Ilitch in 1954 when the two went on a blind date arranged by his father. A year later, they were married. They have seven children...
, one of the founders of the MotorCity Casino, purchased controlling interest from various minor stockholders and Mandalay Resort Group
Mandalay Resort Group
Mandalay Resort Group was a hotel-casino operator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Its major properties included Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur and Circus Circus, as well as half of the Monte Carlo. In terms of market capitalization, it was one of the largest casino operators in the world. It was...
(Circus Circus Michigan)/MGM Mirage
MGM Mirage
Not to be confused with the Las Vegas, Nevada based casino/resort operator Resorts International Holdings.MGM Resorts International is a Paradise, Nevada based corporation that brands itself as a global hospitality company. It is the second largest gaming company in the world by revenue - about...
in 2005. Michigan gaming laws prohibit one company from owning more than one casino property in a market, so to affect the Mandalay Resort/MGM MIRAGE merger the publicly traded companies had to divest MotorCity Casino, choosing to keep MGM Grand Detroit
MGM Grand Detroit
The MGM Grand Detroit in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. The luxury resort hotel opened on October 3, 2007 with a grand event which included models and celebrities including Ashanti, Kid Rock, male model Cameron...
. Mrs. Ilitch paid $525 million for Mandalay Resort Group's 53.5 percent interest in the MotorCity Casino enterprise and undertook a $300 million expansion. The acquisition was a merger in which Mandalay controlled Circus Circus Michigan, Inc. was survived by IH Gaming, Inc. MotorCity Casino is not a corporate entity; rather it is a dba for the Ilitch-owned and controlled Detroit Entertainment, LLC.
With Mrs. Ilitch as sole owner, MotorCity Casino Hotel is reportedly one of the largest independently owned casinos in the U.S. and likely the largest and only 100 percent female-owned casino enterprise in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is also the only locally-owned casino hotel in the city of Detroit.
Mrs. Ilitch and her husband Michael Ilitch
Mike Ilitch
Michael "Mike" Ilitch Sr. is an American entrepreneur and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. In addition to his sports ownerships, he is the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza since 1959, which has become an international fast food franchise...
are co-founders of Little Caesar's Pizza. They are vice chairwoman and chairman respectively of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
Ilitch Holdings, Inc. was established in 1999 to provide all companies owned by Mike and Marian Ilitch with professional and technical services...
which includes the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
NHL franchise and various food service and entertainment ventures. Michael Ilitch owns the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
MLB franchise.
Mrs. Ilitch and a business partner, Michael J. Malik, Sr.
Michael J. Malik, Sr.
Michael J. Malik, Sr. is a developer and entrepreneur from Detroit, Michigan who resides in Birmingham, Michigan.Since the early 1990s he and his partner Marian Ilitch have been catalysts for legalization of gambling and development of gambling halls from coast to coast and in Hawaii with mixed...
, pursue other casino gambling interests outside of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Malik had been a founder of MotorCity Casino but was forced to sell his interests when the Michigan Gaming Control Board would not grant him a license. He sold his shares in MotorCity Casino to Ilitch. Among their other ventures: Gateway Casinos Resorts, LLC partnered with the Shinnecock Indians in the Hamptons
Hamptons
The Hamptons may refer to several villages and hamlets in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on the far east end of Suffolk County in Long Island, New York. These townships occupy the South Fork of Long Island, stretching into the Atlantic Ocean. The Hamptons form a popular seaside resort,...
, NY; and Barwest, LLC partners with the Big Lagoon Rancheria
Big Lagoon Rancheria
The Big Lagoon Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Yurok and Tolowa Indians. They are located in Humboldt County, California, and their tribal headquarters is in Arcata, California.-Government:...
Indians and the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians, who are Mission Indians located in California.-Reservation:...
to develop casinos in Barstow, California
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
.
MotorCity's potential should not be underestimated. Just across the river, Caesars Windsor attracts about six million visitors annually. An estimated 46 million people live within a 300 mi (482.8 km) radius of Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
. Since 2000, the City has seen continuous annual increases in tax revenues from its casinos; the City estimates it will collect $178,250,000 in casino taxes alone for 2007, with the casino resorts open in 2008.
Politics
According to the Center for Responsive PoliticsCenter for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
, reports required by the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
and the CA, MI and NY Elections Officials from 2002-2006 inidicate Ilitch family members and business partners contributed more than $900,000 to political campaigns and PACs.
Federal lobbying reports required to be filed with Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and compiled by The Center for Public Integrity indicate between $0.5-$1.3 million was directed to Wheat Government Relations (former Congressman Alan Wheat
Alan Wheat
Alan Dupree Wheat is an American politician from the state of Missouri.-Early life:Wheat graduated from Grinnell College in 1972 and served in the Missouri General Assembly from 1977 to 1982...
) the primary D.C. lobbyist representing Ilitch and her various partners contract with to lobby Federal officials on gaming or related matters from 2002-2005.
Union activity
At noon on October 16, 2007, the casino closed after a 12-hour extension of the prior labor contract expired. Union and management negotiators reached a tentative agreement later that day and the casino reopened at 5:00 p.m. Casino employees are represented by the United Auto WorkersUnited Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
, Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Union, Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
, Carpenters Union and Operating Engineers Union.
See also
- Caesars WindsorCaesars WindsorCaesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario is one of four casinos in the Detroit–Windsor area. Owned by the government of the province of Ontario , it is operated by Caesars Entertainment. Both the original Casino Windsor and the new expansion were designed by WZMH Architects...
- Greektown CasinoGreektown CasinoGreektown Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit-Windsor area. Greektown Casino, LLC is majority owned by Greektown Superholdings, Inc. and Greektown Newco Sub Inc...
- MGM Grand DetroitMGM Grand DetroitThe MGM Grand Detroit in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. The luxury resort hotel opened on October 3, 2007 with a grand event which included models and celebrities including Ashanti, Kid Rock, male model Cameron...
- Wikimedia graph of Detroit's casino revenues
