The state of Maryland hit a record number when it comes to casino earnings for the month of December thanks to the opening of the MGM National Harbor. The casino opened on the 8th of December and managed to earn $41.9 million during just 24 days of operation. This amount pushed the state to an amazing $133.5 million in overall revenues for the month.

The $1.4 billion casino and resort opened last month in Prince George County with visitors coming from all around to see what the venue had to offer. The opening month included a list of big name performers which brought in visitors as well as the holidays.

The opening of the casino was expected to negatively affect Maryland Live Casino, which is the closest competitor. However, this was expected. At the same time, three casinos of the state were able to post gains year-on-year. The previous record for the state in regards to monthly casino revenues was $104.4 million which was created in May of last year by the five casinos of the state. The December total of $133.5 million is quite a bit more than the May record and is actually 40.2% more than December totals from 2015.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica commented on the gaming totals by stating that they anticipated that the month of December would be record breaking and are tremendously enthusiastic about the future of the casino program for Maryland. MGM National Harbor is in an ideal location and an outstanding facility and they are confident that the success of the venue will fuel continued growth in revenue that will be used to support vital programs in the state.

The highest revenues for the month were produced by Maryland Live, who brought in $48 million. However, this was an 11.4% drop from the same time frame of 2015. The Horseshoe had expected that they would lose customers due to the opening of the MGM National Harbor but the revenues were still up when compared to 2015. The casino generated $29.7 million for the month which was a 9.1% increase from the previous year.

The Casino at Ocean Downs generated $4.1 million while Rocky Gap Casino Resort was able to earn $3.5 million. Ocean Downs saw an increase of 6.1% while Rocky Gap was up 1.1%. The Hollywood Casino Perryville saw a downturn in revenues of 3.9% with $6.1 million in earnings.

Medenica commented on the other casino’s performances for the month stating that given the intense spotlight on the MGM National Harbor opening, the numbers for Maryland for the month of December involving the other casinos were in line with expectations. It was pleasing to see the Horseshoe, Rocky Gap, and Ocean Downs continue to see an increase in revenues. Medenica is confident that the six casinos of the state will see each venue establish a unique presence in the marketplace.