Maryland Casino Revenue Jumps in May: Up 6% from April and 2.2% Year-Over-Year

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming (MLG) announced that the state’s six casinos generated $173.15 million from slot machines and table games in May. This marks the ninth-best single-month total in the history of Maryland’s casino program.

May Casino Revenue Highlights

Maryland’s casino revenue in May showed a 2.2% increase compared to the same month last year and a 6.13% rise from April 2024, which had revenue of $163.2 million.

Here’s a breakdown of the revenue for this year so far:

• January: $153,243,316
• February: $159,226,677
• March: $178,137,823
• April: $163,150,675
• May: $173,152,961

In May, Maryland casinos contributed $74.4 million in tax revenue, reflecting a 6.6% monthly increase and a 5.1% annual rise. Contributions to the state’s Education Trust Fund reached $53.66 million, marking a 6.57% monthly increase and a 4.2% year-over-year increase.

MGM National Harbor Leads the Pack

MGM National Harbor topped the revenue charts again in May, earning over $72 million. Among the six privately-owned casinos, three showed yearly revenue growth: MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino & Hotel, and Hollywood Casino. Here’s a look at how each casino performed in May 2024 compared to the previous year:

• MGM National Harbor: $72.27 million, up 0.8% from May 2023
• Live! Casino & Hotel: $65.03 million, up 10.3% annually
• Horseshoe Casino: $14.72 million, down 15.9% from May 2023
• Ocean Downs Casino: $8.35 million, down 0.6% year-over-year
• Hollywood Casino: $7.81 million, up 2.7% from May 2023
• Rocky Gap Casino: $4.97 million, down 4.9% from last year

When comparing monthly revenues, Hollywood Casino was the only one to report a decrease in May (-1.55%). The other five casinos saw increases, with Rocky Gap Casino experiencing the largest monthly rise at 16.36% and Horseshoe Casino the smallest at 0.33%.

Online Casino Legalization on Hold Until 2026

Despite coming close to passing online casino legislation this year, Maryland will likely wait until 2026 to push forward. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ron Watson, indicated that there won’t be efforts to build on this momentum next year.

For online casinos to be legalized, voters need to approve it in a general election. Since there won’t be a referendum this fall, the next chance for voter approval is in 2026.

There remains a possibility that a new bill could be introduced in 2025 by Del. Vanessa Atterbeary or another legislator, but it’s more likely that the debate will be postponed until 2026.