MGM Resorts confirmed that it will open its MGM National Harbor casino in Prince George’s county, Maryland on December 8, 2016 and will become the 6th casino to open in Maryland. MGM which invested $1.4 billion to develop the MGM National Harbor casino will launch its casino before the busy holiday season and has planned special inaugural events and exciting promotions for its grand launch.

The $1.4 billion casino facility which is built on 23 acres of land overlooking the Potomac River will offer patrons a Las Vegas themed experience which includes a wide variety of gaming and non-gaming offerings near the nation’s capitol.  The casino will have a gaming floor covering 125,000 square feet, a 24 storey luxury hotel with 300 rooms, a state of the art conference center, a theatre that can seat up to 3,000 people, a number ofhigh-endd restaurants and a unique two storey glass enclosed atrium that has a horticultural showcase which has more than 70,000 flowers that were turned into pieces of art.

The rooms at the MGM National Harbor will be priced between $399 to $599 per night and the hotel has already started taking bookings which commence from December 10. MGM Harbor officials stated that as of now they are unsure as to how many people will turn up during the opening week but are prepared for a huge influx of people to visit the casino. MGM Harbor officials are working closely with county officials and the public sector to make arrangements to mitigate traffic issues.

There has been opposition since MGM was granted a license as many believe a sixth casino in the state could cannibalize Maryland’s casino industry and also increase issues such as problem gambling. However state regulators went ahead because MGM National Harbor is expected to generate a significant amount of revenue in the form of gambling taxes and also create thousands of employment opportunities.

In a statement, Scott Peterson, a representative for the county said “The news that December 8th is the official opening date is very exciting for Prince George’s County and the region. This billion-dollar project has led to the hiring of thousands of workers to build this incredible facility and will employ thousands of people in the county and around the region as well as provide tens of millions of dollars that will help us improve the quality of life in Prince George’s County.”

MGM National Harbor general manager Bill Boasberg stated that the resort planned to hire a total of 3,600 employees and has already sent out offers to more than 2,200 people. MGM Harbor has an agreement with Prince George’s to hire a minimum of 40 percent of its workforce from within the county. MGM Harbor has also awarded contracts to 88 local firms in Prince George’s county with a total value estimated to be around $170 million. MGM National Harbor is expected to release more information regarding its promotions and inaugural offers in the coming weeks.