Marland casino gambling was brisk in March.
The six casinos in the state combined for $178.1 million in revenue last month, the fifth-highest month in Maryland casino history. It was 0.9% better than March 2023 but 10.6% higher than the previous month.
Tax contributions to the state added up to $76.5 million.
MGM continues its dominance in the Maryland casino market
That level of success has many lawmakers interested in adding a Maryland online casino industry. Unfortunately, legislation to legalize online casinos in the Old Line State will fail again this session, the legislative session ends later tonight.
Maryland is home to two of the most popular casinos outside the gambling mecca of Nevada. The two, MGM National Harbor and Live! Casino and Hotel, unsurprisingly, continued to lead the state in March.
According to a Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency report, MGM accumulated just over $75 million in revenue from its 2,265 slot machines and 207 table games to lead all other Maryland casinos in March. Its revenue was 3.4% higher yearly and 10.9% better than the previous month. MGM accounted for 42.1% of the statewide revenue total.
Live! was the only casino remotely close to MGM’s popularity. From its 3,860 slot machines and 179 table games, Live! accumulated $64.8 million in revenue last month. That was 0.5% better year over year and 8.4% higher than in February.
MGM and Live! combined to generate 78.5% of the total statewide casino revenue.
The faraway third-place finisher was Horseshoe Casino, which generated $17.3 million in revenue from its 1,347 slot machines and 115 table games. March represented a 4.3% dip year over year but a 13.6% monthly boost.
Here’s how all six casinos stacked up against once another in March:
- MGM National Harbor: $75.1 million
- Live! Casino and Hotel: $64.8 million
- Horseshoe Casino: $17.3 million
- Hollywood Casino: $8.5 million
- Ocean Downs Casino: $7.5 million
- Rocky Gap Casino: $5 million
Live!’s slots led the state
Slot machines are the biggest money makers for casinos in Maryland. While MGM is no slouch in this category, it does not lead the state in slot machine revenue. That title belongs to Live!, which brought in just under $48 million in revenue from slots in March.
Here’s how Maryland casinos stacked up in revenue from slot machines in March:
- Live! Casino and Hotel: $47.9 million
- MGM National Harbor: $45.9 million
- Horseshoe Casino: $11.9 million
- Hollywood Casino: $7 million
- Ocean Downs Casino: $6.8 million
- Rocky Gap Casino: $4.4 million
Table games are where MGM separated itself from Live! in revenue. MGM generated $29.2 million from its table games in March. That was nearly double the revenue accumulated by Live! from its tables last month.
Here’s how the six Maryland casinos ranked in table game revenue in March:
- MGM National Harbor: $29.2 million
- Live! Casino and Hotel: $16.8 million
- Horseshoe Casino: $5.4 million
- Hollywood Casino: $1.4 million
- Ocean Downs Casino: $715,313
- Rocky Gap Casino: $610,252
Tax money in March up YoY and MoM
Of the $76.5 million in tax revenue paid to the state in March, $65.6 million came from slots. Casino gaming taxes paid in March were nearly $2 million more than in March 2023, an increase of 2.6%. They were 11.4% higher than the previous month.
MGM led the way with $31.6 million in taxes paid to the state. Of that total, $25.7 million came from slot machines and $5.8 million from table games.
Live! contributed $27.8 million in taxes. That came from $24.5 million of taxes paid from slot machines and $3.4 million from table games.
Most tax dollars received from casino gambling help bolster the Education Trust Fund. In March, the total amount contributed to education was $55.2 million. That left about $21.6 million of tax dollars to be used for Maryland’s horse racing industry, businesses owned by minorities and women, small businesses and the communities that house the six casinos.
