In the silent chorus of January’s chill, the pulse of Maryland’s gaming floors echoed a somber beat, as revenue streams within the state’s six steadfast casinos tapered. The chill of reduced play settled across the vibrant gaming spaces, where the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission heralded news of financial descent. The gross gaming revenue (GGR), an unyielding scoreboard of triumph and tribulation, reflected an 8.4% year-over-year decline, fonting the tale of a $153.2 million intake.
The seasoned serenade of slot machines and the deft dance of cards had failed to allure the masses, marking the fifth month in the previous six with a lament of decline. Only December’s whispers of gain offered faint solace, a negligible 0.3% rise in the vast ocean of downturns. The year 2023, now etched in ledgers and memories alike, had closed its curtains with casinos amassing $1.98 billion, a figure that mourned a 3.3% decrease against its predecessor.
The narrative was one of collective retreat, as each gaming haven from MGM National Harbor, with its grandeur dimming by 8.7%, to the echo of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore’s 17% tumble, reverberated the same tune. The resort casinos scattered like distant stars—Hollywood Casino Perryville, Ocean Downs in Berlin, and Rocky Gap—each faltered in their fortunes, their winnings dribbling down by 7.5%, 13%, and a stark 37%, respectively.
This cascade of dwindling fortunes bore implications more consequential than mere figures, for it signified an 11% regression in tax dollars—once a bountiful stream directed into the state’s Education Trust Fund. The January tale was silent on sports betting, a separate saga with its own triumphant victories and vainglorious defeats, yet to be recounted.
The impending days bring with them a whisper of iGaming’s promise, a specter looming over the land of brick and mortar where the tangible clink of coin and felt are sanctified. Annapolis’s halls of power will soon rumble with debates over iGaming’s fate, as studies forewarn a potential exodus of 2,700 souls from the casinos’ employ—a dire prophecy for foot traffic and jobs.
With legacy play’s descent in 2023 and the New Year continuing the descent, the prospects of iGaming weave a complex tapestry in the Old Line State. Meanwhile, union officials, carrying the banner for 16,000 casino workers, stand vigilant against the digital incursion, voicing concerns well beyond job security. They paint a vista where the absence of iGaming ensures the vibrancy of Maryland’s gaming palaces, where the domino effect of economic vitality stretches across industries, from tax revenue to tourism.
Their voices, earnest in their plea, challenge the allure of iGaming with a pragmatic vision of community and economic interdependence—an ode to the sinews that bind the fate of Maryland’s gaming industry to its broader societal canvas.
