DETROIT (WWJ) – Many Lions fans have their favorite pregame traditions before going to catch the team in action at Ford Field. Some love tailgating at Eastern Market, while others hit their favorite bars.
Others like to do their own version of tailgating at Detroit’s three casinos.
But as Monday Night Football comes to town in the midst of the first-ever casino strike in Detroit, picketing workers have a message for those fans: don’t come.
“We don’t mind any Lions fans [coming] out, if they want to support the strike line…go ahead, but try not to go into the casino and gamble,” one worker told WWJ’s Charlie Langton.
More than 3,500 workers at MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown went on strike Oct. 17. That includes dealers, cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers and others.
Five unions representing the thousands of workers are looking for contract improvements, including wages that keep up with inflation, better healthcare and retirement benefits, fair workloads and more.
While the strike will hit two weeks on Tuesday, the casinos have remained open, with some options limited due to staffing.
Reports estimate Detroit casinos are losing out on $1.5 million to $2.5 million per day. Meanwhile, the state of Michigan is losing out on an estimated $120,000 to $202,000 in daily tax revenue, with that number between $190,000 and $320,000 for the city of Detroit.
The Lions are set to take on the Las Vegas Raiders at 8:15 p.m., hosting MNF for the first time since 2018. Detroit is in search of its first win on Monday Night Football since beating the Packers in 2017 and first home win on a Monday since 2014.
The city is buzzing as the Lions are off to a 5-2 start. Tailgaters will be out in full force at Eastern Market and bars across the city, while the People Mover and QLine will be open late, running until 1 a.m. – and offering up swag and prizes.