Striking Detroit casino workers taking on online betting
DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit casino strike is expanding online.
On Nov. 10, The Detroit Casino Council called for the public to boycott four online casino and sports betting platforms that are associated with the three casinos that have workers on strike.
The platforms are FanDuel which features MotorCity Casino, BetMGM which features MGM Grand Detroit, and Hollywood iCasino and the soon to be released ESPN BET which both feature Hollywood Casino at Greektown.
“Online sports betting and online casino platforms like FanDuel, ESPN BET, and BetMGM are critical sources of revenue for the companies that operate Detroit’s three casinos,” Nia Winston, President of UNITE HERE Local 24, said. “Workers have been outside the physical locations 24/7 since going out on strike three weeks ago to win a fair contract. Now, they’re calling on the public not to cross their virtual picket line either, and to boycott these apps until the strike is settled.”
The DCC said they will also launch a digital ad campaign on Nov. 13. The campaign will target the online platforms’ users and will inform them about the strike and encourage them not to use the platforms until the strike is over.
The DCC said there may be people from outside of Michigan that use the apps that are unaware of the ongoing strike and the reasons behind it.
The strike began on Oct. 17 and affects 3,700 casino workers. The workers said they are looking for better wages, fair workloads, the protection of their healthcare and job security.