Detroit casinos to stop paying workers from Wednesday
State’s three casino operators will cease paying workers wages on Wednesday but have extended some benefits to employees.
US.- Casino workers in Detroit will receive their last pay check on Tuesday after all of the state’s casinos were forced to close as part of measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
According to The Detroit News, MGM Grand Detroit, Greektown and MotorCity pledged to pay workers through the original shutdown window, which expires at the end of the day on Tuesday.
All three casinos will cease paying workers from Wednesday but have promised to extend benefits through to June 30.
“This decision was extremely difficult to make for all of us,” Jay Snowden, President and CEO of Penn National Gaming, which owns Greektown, wrote in a letter to employees last week.
“Penn National is a family, and we deeply regret the hardship this will place on you and your loved ones. We are extremely motivated and focused on re-opening our properties as soon as it is safe and legal to do so,” he added.
Penn National Gaming owns 41 casinos in 19 states and all of them have been shuttered due to the outbreak. Unpaid furloughs will be given to about 26,000 employees.
MotorCity Casino released a statement where it said that “the health and safety of our employees is our top priority.”
Casinos employ about 19,681 workers. across the US. The American Gaming Association estimates a two-month shutdown nationwide could cost the country $43.5 billion in economic activity, and $74 billion in lost wages.
