MotorCity Appoints Long-term Employee as Senior VP of Casino Operations

MotorCity Casino has now filled the vacancy in its Casino Operations team. The retail casino announced that it elevated Stacey Young to the rank of Senior Vice President of Casino Operations.

Young, the newly promoted employee is a long-term staff member who has worked with MotorCity Casino in multiple roles since 2003. During his career, Young has earned several promotions which is a testament to his competence, experience and loyalty. His appointment is timely as business is currently volatile for the retail casino business.

MotorCity Casino has a new Senior Vice President of Casino Operations. Stacey Young was promoted to the position and is now responsible for supervising all gambling verticals at the casino. This includes poker, table games, slots and the retail sportsbook.

Young will have almost no problem adjusting to his new job as he has almost three decades of experience in the casino business.

However, he has spent 21 years working in various capacities within the MotorCity hierarchy, particularly in the slot vertical section. The new SVP started as a Slot Technical Manager in 2003. He rose to higher ranks such as Director of Slot Operations and Vice President of Slot Operations.

Young is excited and has expressed this since the news emerged. “I’m thrilled to be part of such an outstanding team, and I’m excited to continue elevating the guest experience at MotorCity Casino Hotel,” he said.

The casino’s general manager, John Policicchio, also praised Young's credentials and personality. According to a press release, He said that “Stacey’s dedication and expertise have been instrumental in delivering MotorCity Casino’s world-class experience. We’re eager to see Stacey continue to excel in his new role.”

Young has come a long way since his distinguished service in the United States Marine Corps where he was a veteran of Desert Storm. He also holds a Master’s degree in information management from Central Michigan University.

Young’s promotion is coming at a time of volatility which will require experience to steady the ship. All three casinos in Detroit have experienced some instability in revenue for some time now. For instance, the casinos had to deal with a six-week workers’ strike in 2023.

In 2023, MotorCity Casino recorded the second highest total gambling revenue. The retail casino generated $373.6 million in annual revenue. In comparison, MGM Grand Detroit generated $564 million while Hollywood Casino at Greektown generated $285.2 million within the same period.

MotorCity earned $35.8 million in February 2023 which was the highest monthly revenue and earned its lowest, $31 million, in September 2023. Revenue for the three facilities had been steady for most of 2023.

However, the last five months proved to be rough for Detroit casinos. All three Detroit casinos recorded revenue that was below their expectations. For MotorCity Casino, earnings went way below $30 million for three out of the previous five months.

The casinos have since bounced back in February 2024. MotorCity earned $31.6 million in monthly revenue. It remains to be seen what the succeeding months have in store for MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood Casino at Greektown and MotorCity Casino. Whatever the case may be, Stacey Young has an important role to play in MotorCity’s continued success.

Meanwhile, MotorCity Casino’s online partner, FanDuel Casino MI, is having a good time. FanDuel almost hit the $50 million threshold in February even though it fell short of this mark by $1.6 million. However, its $48.4 million mark in monthly revenue set a new record and exceeded the previous record by over $4 million and saw earn second place overall.

Within the next week, the Michigan Gaming Control Board is expected to release online revenue figures. Industry observers will want to measure the effect of March Madness on earnings.