Whenever the sports gaming licensing and regulatory process is ready to greenlight sports betting in Maryland, Live! Casino & Hotel will be ready to deliver a vibrant, fan-friendly environment for viewing sports events and getting in on the action.
Actually, Live!’s Sports & Social Maryland — a sports bar/cocktail-dining lounge/sportsbook-in-waiting — is already ready, albeit without the betting. It’s a 13,775-square foot sprawling facility filled with comfortable seating for more than 200 customers, with a state-of-the-art AV system featuring more than 100 linear feet of LED screens, including a giant, 47-foot-wide main screen surrounded by small screens.
The venue flows into the casino floor with a carousel bar welcoming customers and providing a natural portal to the main viewing area.
Partners With FanDuel
Live! is partnered with sports betting operator FanDuel Sportsbook Maryland and the Sports & Social sports venue is already outfitted with ticket-writing counters and accommodations for betting kiosks.
Live! Is part of the Cordish Companies development and entertainment company and has been among the top two revenue grossing casinos in MD. Live! Spent $15 million on the sportsbook facility and it’s the most prominent sports betting-targeted facility to open in Maryland so far.
Maryland’s sports betting legislation has been signed into law and a Sports Wagering Application Review Commission has just been named; the group is part of the licensing process. Meanwhile, the state’s Lottery and Gaming Control Agency is hammering out regulations.
In time, MD gambling will offer both retail and online sports betting but it’s been clear from the start that physical sportsbooks will be ready to go before online casino betting. And Live!’s Sports & Social Maryland is ready to go.
A 'Happening Entertainment Venue'
“So, this is not a sleepy sportsbook. This is a happening entertainment venue,” said Rob Norton, President of Cordish Gaming Group. “Great food, great drink, spectacular sports viewing along with best-in-class sports betting options with our partner FanDuel who, once allowed, will be operating right here out of the ‘book. In every aspect that you look at, we’ll be bringing a best-in-market experience.”
The venue has a variety of seating, some of it tiered, from easy chairs to bar seating to living room spaces that can accommodate groups.
“Some seating will likely be reserved on busy days while some seating will be free-flow,” Norton said. “So, as we learn what the volumes will be for different events, we’ll figure that out. We have our VIP lounges, our ‘living rooms’ … they are unique experiences where you get a couple of hundred square feet of living room area that you can enjoy. But we also have great bar seating and traditional sports lounge seats, all mixed in.”
As part of the name implies, there is a “social” aspect to the space as well. Off to the side are a couple of duckpin lanes (Baltimore’s traditional take on bowling) and in a bar/table game area, there’s a fancy Fussball table.
“We believe the future of these kinds of venues in a sports setting aligns with what we do in the casino, which is to create an entertainment environment,” Norton said. “So here, we’re creating an opportunity for people to compete against each other. Whether you’re playing bubble soccer or the duckpin bowling alley, it’s a way to engage beyond just watching the game.”
Of course, game watching wouldn’t be complete without food and drink and Live! Sports & Social promises to deliver on that with a Classic American Grill menu that includes favorites like wings and quesadillas and surprises, such as Korean Short Rib Nachos and Pork Belly Burgers. There’s also a Saturday brunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sports & Social recently opened locations in Ballpark Village adjacent to Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, Live! Casino Pittsburgh and Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia in the South Philadelphia Stadium District. A second Maryland location will also open at Bethesda’s Pike & Rose neighborhood this fall.
For more information on Sports & Social at Live! including food and drink specials, visit the hotel's website.
