Politics

Did Michigan Democratic Party Snub Detroit Casino Over Muslim Senate Candidate?

Posted on: October 9, 2026, 02:07h.

Last updated on: October 9, 2026, 02:07h.

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Devin O'Connor Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, and gaming news. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014...
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Key Points

The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its Nov. 3 election night event somewhere other than Detroit’s MGM Grand or MotorCity casinos
Deadline Detroit reported that the decision could be tied to Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s Muslim faith
The party declined to say whether gambling influenced the decision

The Michigan Democratic Party has traditionally made one of the downtown Detroit casinos its official election night headquarters, but that won’t be the case for Nov. 3, 2026.

Michigan Democratic Party Detroit casino — Democrat US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at the McMorran Theater in Port Huron, Michigan, on Oct. 6, 2026. The Michigan Democratic Party reportedly skipped hosting its election night party at a casino because of El-Sayed’s religion. (Image: Getty)

Dating back to 2016, the Michigan Democratic Party has gathered on Election Day at either MGM Grand Detroit or MotorCity Casino Hotel. This year will be different, as the Michigan Democratic Party has confirmed that it won’t celebrate election results at either Detroit casino but at a site still to be revealed.

Deadline Detroit, a digital media outlet, reports that the decision not to host at MGM or MotorCity could be tied to Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Party’s United States Senate nominee. El-Sayed, a Muslim, is seeking to keep the seat in Democratic control.

Michigan will elect a new US senator next month, as Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) decided not to seek a third term.

Did Religion Play a Role in Casino Snub?

El-Sayed, the former director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, is a progressive Democrat who supports a government-run, single-payer national health insurance system, ending US military funding to Israel, and abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent who narrowly lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in 2024. Rogers is campaigning to return manufacturing jobs to Michigan, protect Social Security, and to refocus core education.

A political insider told Deadline Detroit that the Michigan Democratic Party’s decision not to host its election night party at a casino is linked to El-Sayed being a Muslim.

In Islam, gambling is unequivocally deemed ‘haram,’ or ‘forbidden,’ as declared by Allah in the Holy Quran,” explained My Islam, a website “dedicated to helping Muslims learn about and practice Islam.” It’s considered haram for a Muslim to even enter a casino or place where gambling occurs.

If elected, El-Sayed would make history by becoming the first Muslim member of the US Senate.

A spokesperson with the Michigan Democratic Party said the decision not to host election night at a Detroit casino was based on a variety of factors, including pricing. But when pressed about whether gambling played a role, the spokesperson declined to comment.

Michigan Senate Polls, Odds

The RealClearPolitics polling average gives El-Sayed a 3.2-point lead over Rogers. While some polls have the Democratic candidate ahead by only one point, others have El-Sayed up as much as seven. No poll suggests Rogers is the front-runner.

On prediction markets, traders have El-Sayed the favorite, with his shares priced at 66 cents (implied odds of 66%). Rogers is the underdog, with his shares trading at 34 cents.