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For many years, Nevada was the only place in the US to play a slot machine. The one-armed bandit has been synonymous with the state for decades.
However, for 21 years, from 1947 to 1968, Americans could find legal slot play in Maryland too.
In terms of significance, this fact makes Maryland one of the only states to ban gambling, then bring it back.
This history likely set the stage for Maryland’s moderate but passionate reintroduction back into the world of slot machines and table games.
The state has also become a pro-sports betting state. Voters overwhelmingly voted yes on Question 2 to legalize Maryland sports wagering during the state’s November 2020 election.
Marylanders have all of the typical options for social gaming. Double Down, Big Fish, Slotomania, Zynga, and MyVegas are all available through Facebook or mobile devices. Interestingly, the Hollywood Casino in Perryville does not feature its own social casino option. This is unusual for casinos branded by Hollywood.
Marylanders may want to pay slightly more attention to MyVegas than other states because of its proximity to Borgata in New Jersey. Although it’s not walking distance, Borgata is a short trip from Maryland and does have options for redemption through the MyVegas site. Maryland residents might do well to investigate the slot options on MyVegas.
Just after the calendar flipped to 2020, Sen. Chris West pre-filed SB 58, which would allow horse tracks and casinos to offer regulated Maryland sports betting.
Fast forward to November 2020, when a large majority of voters voted yes on statewide ballot measure Question 2, finally legalizing Maryland sports betting.
Whether that will include online sports betting is still unclear. Lawmakers will likely convene in 2021 to hammer out the details.
Like many states, Maryland does not have a strict law for or against playing games of chance online. However, the state is rather restrictive when it comes to funding those games. Many banks and other financial institutions are closely monitored for any kind of interactions with gambling websites or operators.
The bright spot is that there are three nearby states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) that either have or are about to have online gambling. It is certain that the Maryland Legislature will be monitoring those states’ successes closely. It is also possible that Maryland could decide to get in on the online game in the near future. Below is a table of likely operators based upon the companies that already have a foothold in the state.
Operator | Properties Owned/Managed in MD |
---|---|
Caesars Entertainment | Horseshoe Casino Baltimore |
Gaming and Leisure Properties | Hollywood Casino Perryville |
Golden Entertainment | Rocky Gap Casino Resort |
MGM Resorts International | MGM National Harbor |
Saratoga Casino Holdings | Ocean Downs |
The Cordish Companies | Maryland Live! Casino |
In 1947, four counties in southern Maryland ignored a veto from Maryland’s governor at the time and installed 9,300 gaming machines in their counties. These counties raked in millions of dollars each year. It was estimated to be over $24 million in 1963 alone, and the scene was so hot that it became the main tourist attraction for the area.
However, all good things must come to an end, and in 1968 Maryland outlawed the slot machines. But the fire for gambling in Maryland continued to smolder. In 2008, residents approved a constitutional amendment to allow slot machines in five specific state locations.
Things went well, and in 2012 voters elected to expand the allowed games to include table games at the five casinos. They also voted to extend the operating hours at the casinos and to authorize a sixth casino. The six casinos are in six different Maryland locales – Anne Arundel, BaltimoreCity, CecilCounty, AlleganyCounty, WorcesterCounty, and Prince George’s County. The sixth casino, MGM National Harbor, just opened last December.
So far, the appeal of these facilities is strong and on the rise. Total revenue for February 2017 alone was over $128 million. The addition of the sixth property is certainly contributing to that figure. MGM National Harbor made $48.8 million in revenue in its first month of operation and its effect on the overall take has been a net positive for the state.
All of this has occurred since 2010, when Hollywood Casino Perryville opened its doors. By the standards of the rest of the state’s casinos, it is a rather modest property. There are 850 slots, 20 table games, and an off-track betting facility (there is no poker room). Yet, four years later, the profile of the state’s gaming industry expanded fivefold – four more casinos opened their doors by August 2014.
The largest of these casinos (and still the largest – MGM National Harbor could only take second place) is Maryland Live! Casino. This massive casino offers its patrons almost 4,000 slot machines, over 200 table games, and a gigantic poker room with 52 tables. There are eight restaurants for patrons to dine, a posh hotel with 310 rooms and 52 suites to reserve, and a 1500-seat entertainment venue. This casino is enough to warrant a stop on the World Poker Tour each year, despite the casino only having been open since June 2012.
Maryland Live! and the five other Maryland properties are finding such success because of the tremendous location they enjoy. Maryland is a fairly populous, but small state, which means it is close to many surrounding areas in addition to its own cities and localities. For instance, Maryland Live! is a 15-minute drive from downtown Baltimore and also only a 50-minute drive from Washington D.C.
It is also less than a two-hour drive from both Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware. These two cities have their own options to be sure, but Maryland casinos are close enough to draw from those areas for a change of pace or special events (like the aforementioned WPT). All in all, the future looks bright for Maryland casinos, because even with the saturation of the northeastern casino market, Maryland enjoys a roughly central location from many parts of this area of the country.
Property | Location | Number of Slots | Number of Table Games | Number of Poker Tables |
---|---|---|---|---|
Maryland Live! Casino | Hanover | 3,941 | 209 | 52 |
MGM National Harbor | Oxon Hill | 3,212 | 165 | 39 |
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore | Baltimore | 2,186 | 179 | 25 |
Hollywood Casino Perryville | Perryville | 850 | 20 | n/a |
Ocean Downs | Berlin | 800 | n/a | n/a |
Rocky Gap Casino Resort | Flintstone | 662 | 17 | n/a |
Permitted/Offered? | Notes & Restrictions | |
---|---|---|
Land-based Gambling | Yes | |
Online Gambling | No | |
Lottery | Yes | State and multi-state drawings |
Charitable or House-based Gambling | Yes | |
Minimum Gambling Age | 21 |
Hanover, Maryland may not be a well known gambling spot, and it’s a very small city of only about 12,000 people, but it is part of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area of 9.3 million people, so there are plenty of folks living nearby to justify the building of a very large casino complex, and this is indeed one of the biggest casinos in the country.
Maryland Live! Is actually located in a shopping mall, which may seem like a strange location, but this just isn’t any shopping mall, it’s the 1.6 million square foot Arundel Mills mall, the largest in Maryland and one of the largest in the country. The mall brings a lot of visitors to it so this seemed like the perfect place for a casino.
Maryland Live! is not only the largest casino in Maryland, they do about twice the business here as the other 5 Maryland casinos combined. Their only serious competition in the state is from Harrah’s Horseshoe Baltimore, which benefits from being located downtown, but in spite of Maryland Live!’s suburban location, the people still flock there.
Legal casino gambling in Maryland is a new phenomenon, after a 2008 state referendum allowing it was passed. Maryland is most famous for its horse racing, but residents have always loved to bet here, and they now have several locations where they can play real casino games, including this one.
Maryland Live! opened their doors on June 6, 2012, as a slot parlor, but they started out with 3,200 slot machines, and added another 1,550 slot machines just 3 months later. This put them among the largest casinos in the world by slot count.
Table games were added the next year, in 2013, and they didn’t just mess around with a small amount of tables either, as there are over 200 gaming tables on hand here. A poker room was added a year later, and once again, they went big with a two story poker room. This is a casino of a grand scale and takes in almost a billion dollars a year in gaming revenue these days.
Being situated within such a massive population area, and with so many people within an easy drive, all of their traffic here is walk up, although they are in the process of constructing a 17 story hotel alongside the casino which will have 310 guest rooms and 52 suites, along with greatly expanded on site facilities. Completion is set for 2018.
For now though, if you are already in the Baltimore Washington area, or are planning on traveling there, and are looking for some great casino gambling, it doesn’t get any bigger or better than Maryland Live!
Maryland Live! and the Live! brand is owned by Baltimore real estate development firm The Cordish Companies, founded by Louis Cordish in 1910 and still run by the Cordish family, with extensive commercial real estate holdings throughout the eastern United States.
With so much casino traffic, all these people do get hungry, and Maryland Live! Casino has several great dining options waiting for you to sample. The Prime Rib is the region’s number one rated steakhouse. This is definitely upscale dining with prices to match, but Chef Eric Littlejohn and his staff promise not just a meal, but a night to remember.
If you prefer eating under the stars, the patio at The Prime Rib offers open air dining in a temperature controlled setting with a retractable roof. The Lounge at the Prime Rib offers drinks and appetizers. The dress code here is fairly strict but they are willing to look the other way if you are a top tier player at the casino.
Nationally renowned Chef Joseph Ku prepares authentic dishes from Korea, Vietnam, and China at the Asian restaurant Luk Fu and the new 8 at Luk Fu. Viva En Vivo! dishes up Latin cuisine in a more casual environment. Morty’s Delicatessen provides traditional New York deli favorites with a touch of Maryland flavor.
Buffet lovers will get more than their fill with the wide selection of fresh dishes at Live! Buffet. There’s also Phillips Seafood Express, Bobby’s Burger Palace, and The Cheesecake Factory to sample.
Various entertainment acts appear here at the Ram’s Head Center Stage. There’s also plenty of shopping right next door at one of America’s largest shopping malls.
When you come to Maryland Live!, the food may be great but it’s really all about the casino gaming here, and you have come to one of the world’s largest and most successful casinos, with all a casino player could ever dream of.
Players here are treated to membership in the Live! Rewards Players Club, where every play gets you closer to some generous rewards. There are five different tiers depending on your level of play and all players are well taken care of here.
Their over 4,000 slot machines will keep even the hardest core slot player happy, and you can play from a penny a spin on up, and even play on the state’s only million dollar slot. All the latest games are featured here, and there’s also a high limit area for bigger slot players where dedicated casino hosts will give you the extra special treatment you deserve.
The over 200 table games on hand here feature the most popular table games in abundance, including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Fortune Pai Gow Progressive, Let It Ride, Ultimate Texas Holdem, Bix Six Wheel, and Mississippi Stud.
Players who prefer even faster action can check out their electronic table games, with Roulette, Craps, and Mini Baccarat available to play. This is the future of casino gaming and they have it all right here right now.
Their 52 table poker room is one of the largest in the region and is often frequented by poker professionals. This poker room is a regular stop for two major poker tours, and rolls out some of the best poker you will find anywhere.
Maryland Live! Also features their R Bar in the center of the casino floor where you can enjoy electronic table gaming while enjoying drinks in a bar setting. LED screens abound here in a very high tech environment, which also features live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
An extensive array of promotions, including a million dollar baccarat tournament, keep things even more interesting. Maryland Live!, in a few short years, has been a massive success and has established itself as one of the largest and best casinos in the country, and well worth checking out if you are going to be in town.