November 4, 2016
By Jeff Barker
Revenue at Maryland’s casinos inched upward in October, marking the 11th straight month of year-over-year gains, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency reported Friday.
The increases were less pronounced than in previous months. The combined revenue of the state’s five casinos was $95.4 million, 0.8 percent higher than in October 2015.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County and Casino at Ocean Downs in Worcester County all posted gains.
Horseshoe generated $26.6 million from slots and table games — up 7.9 percent — in what general manager Erin Chamberlin called “another strong month.”
Rocky Gap reported revenue of $4.7 million, a 12.1 percent increase. Revenue at slots-only Ocean Downs rose 6 percent to $4.9 million.
Maryland Live, the state’s largest casino, saw revenue slide to $53.2 million, a decrease of 3.2 percent compared with the same month a year earlier.
Revenue at Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County was $5.9 million, down 4.1 percent.
The last time the casinos’ collective revenue was down was in November 2015, when it dropped about 0.5 percent. Monthly revenue has topped $100 million in a month four times since the state’s first casino, Hollywood Perryville, opened in 2010.
The record of $104.4 million was set in May.
A sixth Maryland casino, the MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County, is scheduled to open Dec. 8.
“November is going to be somewhat quiet as we go into the holiday season,” said Doug Shipley, Maryland Live’s general manager, at the October meeting of the gaming control commission.