A casino that is expected to add some pain in the Delaware gaming market will open in early June, pending approval by Maryland gaming regulators.
- Maryland Live! construction photo from January. Photo from Maryland Live!
Maryland Live!, a half a billion dollar, slots-only casino, is scheduled to open on June 6, at Arundel Mills Mall, off the Baltimore -Washington Parkway and near the airport.
The casino will be one of the nation’s largest gaming venues, but will lack table games that are available in adjacent states.
It’s a project of the Cordish Companies, a development firm based in Baltimore.
The casino has mentioned in Delaware by casino executives who are pressing for lower tax rates and other changes aimed at dealing with growing competition.
Also expected to take a hit is the Hollywood Casino in Perryville, Md., one of two other slots venues in the state. Perryville, at the western edge of Cecil County, Md., also faces the challenge of a higher toll at the two bridges over the Susquehanna River.
The Baltimore-Washington area has been a sweet spot for Delaware casinos. But with Pennsylvania, West Virginia and now Maryland expanding their offerings, it is getting tougher to compete.
With 3,200 slots and electronic table games, the casino will also include Iron Chef Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Burger Palace, The Cheesecake Factory and Baltimore-based Phillips Seafood, which has a successful operation in Atlantic City.
Between July and October, Maryland Live! will open Rams Head Center Stage, featuring live entertainment nightly and The Prime Rib steakhouse The Shop Live! retail store and an additional 1,550 slots and electronic table games
In advance of the opening celebration, Maryland Live! Casino launched the gaming industry’s first play-for-fun online casino – Myliveonlinecasino.com – a free website that allows gaming enthusiasts to play their favorite slots games, win virtual credits, compete in online tournaments, and sign-up early for the Live! Rewards players card.
