Pandemic first for Maryland casinos: More gambling than a year ago

Despite strict limits on the number of patrons allowed on gaming floors, Maryland’s casinos reported combined gaming revenue in September that was slightly higher than a year ago. It’s the first time that’s happened since February.

Maryland’s six casinos generated $143.7 million in gaming revenue in September, up 1% compared to September 2019. Maryland will collect $59.7 million of that for various state programs, up about 1%. The state’s Education Trust Fund gets $43.4 million of that.

Gaming revenue at MGM National Harbor, the state’s largest casino, was $57.5 million in September, down .4% from last September.

Live! Casino & Hotel had $49.2 million in gaming revenue last month, up 3% from a year ago.

Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino had $17.6 million in September gaming revenue, down 5.1%.

The state’s three smaller casinos all had year-over-year gains:

  • Ocean Downs Casino up 3%;
  • Hollywood Casino up 12.6%;
  • Rocky Gap Casino up 5.2%.

Maryland’s casinos are operating at a maximum 50% capacity, and not all on-property bars, restaurants and retail stores have reopened.

MGM National Harbor slashed its workforce by 25%, or almost 780 jobs, in August.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming posts monthly and year-to-date gaming revenue distributions online.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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