The new fiscal year began with a bang for Maryland casinos in July.
The state’s six commercial casinos broke the state record for revenue last month, combining for $181,503,226. That nudged past the previous mark set 12 months earlier; Maryland casinos combined for $180,145,516 in revenue during July 2021.
Five of the casinos have been active retail Maryland sports betting outlets as well. Those numbers are likely to be released next week.
Though the total revenue was a record, tax contributions to the state were 1.6% lower than July 2021 in a year-over-year comparison, hitting $76.1 million last month. The table game revenue in July was higher than 12 months earlier but revenue from slot machines was lower, and in Maryland, slots are taxed at a higher rate.
There are no Maryland online casinos as of yet.
July Breakdown of Maryland Casino Revenue
The July revenue was up 11.5% from June, when the combined total was $162,745,300.
Four of the six casinos had decreases last month compared to July 2021 but the state’s leader, MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, had an increase of nearly $5 million from 12 months earlier and that was enough to carry the state to a new record. MGM National Harbor recorded $77.2 million in revenue for July, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming.
The other casino to report a year-over-year increase from July 2021 was Ocean Downs Casino in Berlin, which nudged up 0.2% to $10.5 million last month.
The other casinos, with their July revenues compared to July 2021, were Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover ($61.57 million, down 2.1%), Horseshoe Casino Baltimore ($18.4 million, down 4.9%), Hollywood Casino Perryville ($7.55 million, down 14.1%) and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone ($6.2 million, down 1.4%).
Casino contributions to the Education Trust Fund hit $55.27 million last month. In the 2021-22 fiscal year, which concluded in June, the ETF benefit from casinos exceeded $511 million.
Maryland Sports Betting Update
Five of the six Maryland casinos (all but Rocky Gap) also take sports bets. And this week, Bingo World began taking sports wagers as well, becoming the first outlet to do so other than the casinos.
Next week, the Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Commission will hear from more applicants who wish to obtain retail sports betting licenses, including a bid from an applicant listed as Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC.
That applicant happens to share an address with the Washington Commanders NFL team, in Prince George’s County.
The Commanders are not directly listed as the applicant but it would be no surprise that the team would seek to add an in-stadium sportsbook, as several NFL teams and many teams in other major sports have done.
With retail betting in place and mobile wagering on the way perhaps for the upcoming season (but more likely not until 2023 considering the pace of events in Maryland) the excitement for Maryland NFL betting is building. It’s safe to say that both the Commanders and the Baltimore Ravens, about 33 miles to the northeast from FedEx Field, will draw the most interest of any teams in the state — in every state with legal sports betting, the wagers follow the TV ratings in crowning the NFL as the king of American sports.
When wagering on sports becomes available for online devices in the state, check with BetMaryland.com for the best Maryland sportsbook promo codes.
