Detroit casinos sue to keep running while state poises for budget lockdown
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An inability to balance the Michigan state budget in time for the new fiscal year which begins at midnight on Sunday has led to Detroit casinos filing a lawsuit in an attempt to stay open.
Detroit casinos are required to be monitored 24 hours a day by a state employee. If a new budget specifying payment for those employees is not in place, the casinos, along with “non-essential state government operations”, will be closed.
The lawsuit is arguing that the salaries of the casino monitors is funded by money supplied by the casinos, is not part of the state’s general fund budget and should not be suspended.
The affected casinos bring in an average of $400,000 worth of tax money daily, and the loss of this income would only hurt the state.
Roger Martin, a spokesman for Greektown Casino, one of the casinos represented in the lawsuit, said, “The purpose [of the lawsuit] is to protect 7,000 jobs and tax revenue to Michigan schools.”
