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Steve Friess: Casino Strike’s Over, That Scrabble Whiz Kid And Other Updates

Following up on recent column topics, including the MGM Grand Detroit strike ending and being back to betting on the Michigan Wolverines.

Steve Friess State Of Play Detroit Strike Over
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State of Play with Steve Friess

State of Play is a column that focuses on the trending stories in the casino and gambling space with sharp and clever insight from senior staff writer Steve Friess. Over his 25-year career, Friess has contributed to publications such as Newsweek, Time, New York Times and more.


From time to time, it feels necessary to catch up on some of the many topics I raise in this space. The thing is, some follow-ups don’t quite merit a full column or essay.

Today feels like a good time to do this housekeeping because there’s some breaking news about the very last topic I covered — the MGM Grand Detroit strike. So, without further ado, here we go.

Happy Holidays (strike is over)

Last week, I lambasted union leaders

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Steve Friess writes the State of Play column for PlayUSA twice a week. He's a veteran gambling-industry reporter who began covering Las Vegas in 1996 and covered the openings of resorts in Asia, Europe, and across the U.S. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, New Republic, Time, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, New York magazine, and many others. He, his husband, their children and three Poms live in Ann Arbor.

View all posts by Steve Friess

Steve Friess writes the State of Play column for PlayUSA twice a week. He's a veteran gambling-industry reporter who began covering Las Vegas in 1996 and covered the openings of resorts in Asia, Europe, and across the U.S. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, New Republic, Time, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, New York magazine, and many others. He, his husband, their children and three Poms live in Ann Arbor.

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