MGM National Harbor, the shimmering casino on the banks of the Potomac in Prince George’s County, is typically the highest gaming revenue leader among Maryland’s six casinos.
However, MGM National Harbor isn’t just the front-runner among brick-and-mortar casinos in the Free State, where Maryland sports betting apps launched late in 2022. The MGM casino was the national leader for gross gaming revenue among all commercial casinos outside of Nevada for 2022.
That was one of the of the many statistical nuggets included in the American Gaming Association’s state-of-the-industry report last week. The AGA is the trade organization representing a huge swath of the gaming industry in the United States.
MGM National Harbor Has Enviable Location
MGM National Harbor’s rise to the top of the of the list of non-Nevada commercial casinos is, in large part, a result of its enviable location in a tourist enclave just outside of Washington, D.C. There are no Maryland online casinos.
The National Harbor district is a trendy, upscale collection of restaurants, bars, boutiques, a giant observation wheel, and hotels, including the imposing Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
Casino Offers BetMGM Maryland Sportsbook
The MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill – which offers not only a retail sportsbook but the online BetMGM Maryland Sportsbook as well – has its own 308-room hotel tower. That tower is visible to traffic on the interstate highway spanning the Potomac and serving as an impressive calling card. Its appearance is a stylish nod to the monuments of the nation’s capital across the river.
In grabbing the No. 1 revenue spot, MGM National Harbor posted about $884.46 million in total revenue for slots and table games in 2022, according to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research. That figure was nearly a 15% year-over-year increase. Additionally, Maryland sports wagering financial reports indicate that retail sports wagering revenues at National Harbor were about $11 million in 2022.
The hefty total revenue figure gave National Harbor’s an in-state market share of 43.12%.
MGM National Harbor was the site of the first legal sports wager in Maryland, placed by Gov. Larry Hogan, in December 2021.
Live! Casino and Hotel Provides Competition
Nearby Live! Casino and Hotel was not far behind with nearly 34.4% of the state’s market share last year, and also was ranked as the No. 5 overall gross revenue casino in the country.
Live! is routinely second in Maryland in the state in retail revenue and its FanDuel Maryland Sportsbook led the state in mobile sports wagering handle in both December and January.
MGM National Harbor opened in 2016 as a result of a referendum that allowed a sixth casino in Maryland. It “narrowly surpassed” Resorts World New York City in Queens, N.Y., the AGA said, for highest gross gaming revenue for a commercial casino outside of Nevada.
Full Year of Maryland Sports Betting Helps
That distinction came with the footnote that MGM National Harbor benefited from a full year of retail sports betting in 2022, well before Maryland online sports betting launched in November. Retail sports betting is currently unavailable at the Queens Resorts World.
The Borgata in Atlantic City jumped two spots last year in the AGA’s rankings to finish No. 3 overall.
The rest of the top 10 for 2022 were: No. 4 Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts; No. 5 Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover; No. 6 Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania; No. 7 MGM Grand Detroit; No. 8 Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York; N.Y.); No. 9 Rivers Des Plaines in suburban Chicago; and No. 10 Wind Creek in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
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