Detroit Greektown Casino Visitor Finds Roaches in Cup After Drinking

Posted on: September 6, 2023, 08:45h. 

Last updated on: September 6, 2023, 11:49h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A guest at Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit found roaches in a cup after he drank Pepsi last Thursday, according to a recent report.

A roach
A roach, pictured above. A visitor at a Detroit casino said he found roaches in his soda cup. (Image: Planet Friendly Pest Control)

The man, identified as Jarome Quinney, said there were “a whole bunch of roaches” in the cup, Detroit TV station WJBK reported on Tuesday.

Quinney reportedly didn’t have any issues with the first cup of Pepsi he dispensed from the soda fountain at the casino. It was only when he went back for a refill that the issue started.

I grabbed my old top and then grabbed a new cup, and as soon as I grabbed a new cup, … a whole bunch of roaches were coming out of my cup,” Quinney told the TV station. “I went to the bathroom and threw up. I don’t know if a roach came out or not.”

When he returned to the fountain area, he saw three or four visitors drinking from cups.

“I was like, whoa,” Quinney said. “That means anyone that was hot or gambling and came for a drink, they most definitely got contaminated.”

He then told casino employees about the issue, but he felt like he got the runaround, he told the station.

Casino Responds

“Out of an abundance of caution, we…contracted with Ecolab who examined the area and they confirmed that there was no additional evidence or infestation concerns,” the casino said in a statement to WJBK.

The casino undertook a “deep cleaning” in the area of the fountain and other self-service soda stations, Jeff Morris, the casino’s vice president of public affairs and government relations, told the station.

WJBK also contacted Detroit’s health department. Their staff was to investigate the situation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roaches can spread bacteria, parasites, and pathogens. Among the bacteria are salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and hepatitis A. The presence of roaches has also been linked to asthma in children.