Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Empire City [Member]	MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Empire City Transaction [Member]	Park MGM [Member]	Northfield [Member]	MGM National Harbor [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Empire City [Member]	Common Stock [Member] MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Empire City Transaction [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Park MGM [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Northfield [Member]	Common Stock [Member] MGM National Harbor [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member] Empire City [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member] MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member] Empire City Transaction [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member] Park MGM [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member] Northfield [Member]	Capital in Excess of Par Value [Member] MGM National Harbor [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] Empire City [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] Empire City Transaction [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] Park MGM [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] Northfield [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member] MGM National Harbor [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Empire City [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Empire City Transaction [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Park MGM [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Northfield [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] MGM National Harbor [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member] Empire City [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member] MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member] Empire City Transaction [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member] Park MGM [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member] Northfield [Member]	Total MGM Resorts International Stockholder's Equity [Member] MGM National Harbor [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] Empire City [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] MGM Growth Properties LLC [Member] Class A Shareholders [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] Empire City Transaction [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] Park MGM [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] Northfield [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member] MGM National Harbor [Member]
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 9,941,957							$ 5,741							$ 5,653,575							$ 518,456							$ 15,053							$ 6,192,825							$ 3,749,132
Beginning Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2016								574,124
Net income	2,080,372							$ 0							0							1,952,052							0							1,952,052							128,320
Currency translation adjustment	(43,188)							0							0							0							(23,995)							(23,995)							(19,193)
Other comprehensive income (loss) - cash flow hedges	7,995							0							0							0							5,234							5,234							2,761
Stock-based compensation	62,522							0							57,531							0							0							57,531							4,991
Issuance of common stock pursuant to stock-based compensation awards	(33,780)							$ 22							(33,802)							0							0							(33,780)							0
Issuance of common stock pursuant to stock-based compensation awards, Shares								2,152
Cash distributions and dividend payable to noncontrolling interest owners	(147,685)		$ (29,777)					$ 0		$ 0					0		$ 0					0		$ 0					0		$ 0					0		$ 0					(147,685)		$ (29,777)
Dividends paid to common shareholders	(252,014)							0							0							(252,014)							0							(252,014)							0
Issuance of performance share units	9,743							0							9,648							0							0							9,648							95
Repurchase of common stock	(327,500)							$ (100)							(327,400)							0							0							(327,500)							0
Repurchase of common stock, Shares								(10,000)
Share issuance			361,622							0							35,029							0							109							35,138							326,484
Adjustment of redeemable non- controlling interest to redemption value	(18,280)							$ 0							(18,280)							0							0							(18,280)							0
Acquisition transaction							$ 6,886							$ 0							$ (12,486)							$ 0							$ (11)							$ (12,497)							$ 19,383
Other	(7,749)							0							(6,106)							(1,195)							0							(7,301)							(448)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	11,611,124							$ 5,663							5,357,709							2,217,299							(3,610)							7,577,061							4,034,063
Ending Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2017								566,276
Net income	574,886							$ 0							0							466,772							0							466,772							108,114
Currency translation adjustment	(13,022)							0							0							0							(7,422)							(7,422)							(5,600)
Other comprehensive income (loss) - cash flow hedges	3,576							0							0							0							2,476							2,476							1,100
Stock-based compensation	70,196							0							65,072							0							0							65,072							5,124
Issuance of common stock pursuant to stock-based compensation awards	(32,202)							$ 23							(32,225)							0							0							(32,202)							0
Issuance of common stock pursuant to stock-based compensation awards, Shares								2,280
Cash distributions and dividend payable to noncontrolling interest owners	(147,321)		(31,732)					$ 0		0					0		0					0		0					0		0					0		0					(147,321)		(31,732)
Dividends paid to common shareholders	(260,592)							0							0							(260,592)							0							(260,592)							0
Issuance of performance share units	3,716							0							3,609							0							0							3,609							107
Repurchase of common stock	(1,283,333)							$ (411)							(1,282,922)							0							0							(1,283,333)							0
Repurchase of common stock, Shares								(41,076)
Adjustment of redeemable non- controlling interest to redemption value	(21,326)							$ 0							(21,326)							0							0							(21,326)							0
Other	(4,179)							0							2,168							0							0							2,168							(6,347)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	10,469,791							$ 5,275							4,092,085							2,423,479							(8,556)							6,512,283							3,957,508
Ending Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2018								527,480
Net income	2,205,287							$ 0							0							2,049,146							0							2,049,146							156,141
Currency translation adjustment	28,870							0							0							0							16,125							16,125							12,745
Other comprehensive income (loss) - cash flow hedges	(29,505)							0							0							0							(19,973)							(19,973)							(9,532)
Stock-based compensation	88,838							0							83,897							0							0							83,897							4,941
Issuance of common stock pursuant to stock-based compensation awards	(25,965)							$ 20							(25,985)							0							0							(25,965)							0
Issuance of common stock pursuant to stock-based compensation awards, Shares								2,150
Cash distributions and dividend payable to noncontrolling interest owners	(181,816)		(53,489)					$ 0		0					0		0					0		0					0		0					0		0					(181,816)		(53,489)
Dividends paid to common shareholders	(271,288)							0							0							(271,288)							0							(271,288)							0
Issuance of performance share units	1,546							0							1,546							0							0							1,546							0
Repurchase of common stock	(1,031,534)							$ (358)							(1,031,176)							0							0							(1,031,534)							0
Repurchase of common stock, Shares								(35,854)
Share issuance			$ 1,201,558							$ 0							$ 150,464							$ 0							$ 1,512							$ 151,976							$ 1,049,582
Adjustment of redeemable non- controlling interest to redemption value	(2,714)							$ 0							(2,714)							0							0							(2,714)							0
Acquisition transaction				$ 5,027	$ 528	$ (5,760)					$ 0	$ 0	$ 0					$ (18,913)	$ (1,984)	$ 21,681					$ 0	$ 0	$ 0					$ 195	$ 16	$ (2)					$ (18,718)	$ (1,968)	$ 21,679					$ 23,745	$ 2,496	$ (27,439)
Acquisition		$ 265,765							$ 94							$ 265,671							$ 0							$ 0							$ 265,765							$ 0
Acquisition, shares									9,372
Other	(2,220)							0							(3,473)							0							481							(2,992)							772
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 12,662,919							$ 5,031							$ 3,531,099							$ 4,201,337							$ (10,202)							$ 7,727,265							$ 4,935,654
Ending Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2019								503,148