DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Detroit’s three casinos aren’t just raking in cash, they’re leading the city in crime.

New police data show the area around MGM Grand Detroit, barely a tenth of a mile from Police Headquarters, recorded 372 offenses over the past year—more than any other block in the city. Of those, 95 were violent crimes, including ten robberies. Nearby, the blocks surrounding Hollywood Greektown Casino and MotorCity Casino ranked second and fourth for total offenses, with 253 and 211, respectively.

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“These are easy targets,” attorney Heather Atnip, who represented a man attacked in MGM’s parking garage, said. “People have a lot of cash on them, and the parking lots are gun-free zones, so they’re basically sitting ducks.”

Despite the high crime counts, the three casinos generated $1.29 billion in 2024 revenue, contributing $104 million in state gaming taxes and $159 million to Detroit’s budget, The Detroit News reported.

Criminologists say that while casinos boost city revenue, they also invite predictable side effects.

“Crime attractors are places that attract criminals specifically because there are easy targets, and casinos fall into that category,” Daniel Kennedy of the University of Detroit Mercy said. “When you’ve got people drinking and handling a large amount of cash … they’re going to flock to a place like that.”

Detroit police say they’ve expanded patrols near the casinos, but the data suggest the risks remain. For casino-goers in Detroit, the biggest gamble might start after they cash out.