MGM National Harbor has been open for almost a year now and continues to be the top earner for the state of Maryland. The $1.4 billion integrated resort is located just a few miles from the capital and has become the go-to spot for the state’s gamblers as well as out of state visitors. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission released the November earnings reports this week, revealing that the gaming venue earned over $50 million from both table games and slot machines, marking the seventh time this year that the property surpassed the $50m mark.
MGM National Harbor has continually taken the top spot from former number one, Live! Casino & Hotel. According to Maryland Gaming Resources & Information, the Live venue earned $43.4 million for November which is a significant loss for the brand when compared to 2016. The venue earned 13.5% less than last year, with a loss of $6.8m. When it comes to percentages, the Horseshoe Baltimore saw an even larger drop in November, with a 20.3% decrease, with only $22.7 million in earnings.
The three remaining casinos of the state are much smaller when compared to these larger venues. And while they are losing foot traffic to MGM, the gaming venues are still doing well. The Rocky Gap Casino Resort earned just over $4 million for the month which is an increase of 8.4% from last November. The Casino at Ocean Downs was up as well with $3.9 million in earnings, a 2.7% increase. Hollywood Casino Perryville was not to be left out of the yearly gains, with $5.8 million in earnings, which is an increase of 2.6% when compared to last year.
MGM National Harbor has managed to pull a good chunk of traffic from other casinos, with Live! Casino & Hotel seeing a major drop this year of more than $100 million. In efforts to bring players back, the venue has decided to make changes, with work continuing on the $200 million hotel tower. The hotel will have 17 stories, providing 310 guest rooms to visitors.