Hollywood Casino at Greektown

Hollywood Casino at Greektown, formerly known as Greektown Casino-Hotel, is a casino and hotel in Detroit, Michigan, located in the city’s Greektown district. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Penn Entertainment. One of three casinos in Detroit, it was originally the only one controlled by a Native American tribe.

Info

Following the enactment of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988, the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians collaborated with developers Ted Gatzaros and Jim Papas to bring a casino to Detroit. In 1992, they publicly announced a plan in which Gatzaros and Papas’ company, 400 Monroe Associates, would donate a 0.7-acre parcel of land in Greektown to become part of the tribe’s reservation, allowing the casino to be built and operated there. Detroit voters supported the proposal in a 1994 referendum, and the plan received approval from the Secretary of the Interior. However, Michigan Governor John Engler rejected it, citing concerns about the proliferation of off-reservation casinos across the state.

The tribe then turned to the ballot initiative process, partnering with the Atwater group to sponsor the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act. The law, passed by Michigan voters in 1996, allowed up to three private, commercially operated casinos in Detroit, with a preference for proposals already supported by local voters. Greektown Casino was one of eleven applications submitted to Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer. The $567-million proposal included a temporary casino set to open in 1998 and a permanent casino opening in 2000, featuring 128,170 square feet of gaming space and a 1,000-room hotel. In December 1997, Archer selected Greektown, along with the Atwater project (which became MotorCity Casino Hotel) and MGM Grand Detroit.

Construction began in January 1999, incorporating Trappers Alley, a former shopping center owned by Gatzaros and Papas, into the casino’s design. Initially estimated at $115 million, costs escalated to $200 million. Ownership was to be split, with the Sault Tribe holding 50 percent, Gatzaros and Papas and their wives owning 40 percent, and a group of Black investors holding the remaining 10 percent. However, regulatory issues led Gatzaros and Papas to sell their shares. After negotiations with various potential buyers, including Harrah’s Entertainment and MGM Grand, the tribe ultimately acquired full control of the casino, purchasing the shares for $275 million to be paid over ten years. The casino was licensed in September 2000, with the Sault Tribe holding a 90 percent stake.

During the Great Recession in 2008, Greektown Casino fell into bankruptcy and was later sold. Today, it operates as Hollywood Casino at Greektown, continuing as a major gaming and entertainment destination in Detroit.