Outside of Nevada, MGM National Harbor was top US casino last year

Overall, the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. market ranked the No. 3 market for gaming revenue, behind only the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City. The American Gaming Association reports MGM National Harbor grossed $884.46 million in revenue for slots and table games in 2022, 15% more than 2021.

MGM National Harbor accounted for 43.12% of all gaming revenue among Maryland’s casinos last year.

MGM National Harbor has several advantages including its prime location as a tourism draw, the area’s collection of restaurants, bars and retail stores, and its proximity to Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center and other hotels, including its own 308-room hotel.

The casino also now offers retail sports books and has access to Maryland’s online sports betting platforms. Retail sports wagering at a National Harbor was about $11 million last year.

“This combination makes for a perfect storm that gets local and visiting gambling casuals and enthusiasts alike in the doors and keeps them coming back,” said BetMaryland.com, in releasing financial details from the Gaming Association.

“It is uniquely positioned in a dining and entertainment district, and not far away is the Gaylord Hotel, a major conference and convention center, so they’ve got things going for them at National Harbor that other casinos don’t have going for them,” said Gambling.com reporter Bill Ordine.

Live! Casino and Hotel remained Maryland’s second-largest casino with 34.4% of the state’s market share and ranked No. 5 among commercial casinos outside Nevada for overall gross revenue.

The other top casinos outside of Nevada in 2022 were Resorts World New York City in Queens, New York, The Borgata in Atlantic City, and the Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts.

The typical casino patron has gotten more casual over the decades.

“There are so many casinos and people can visit a casino in a casual way, I think means gamblers themselves are not as intense as the were back in the days when you had to fly to Las Vegas and hunker down for three or four or five nights,” Ordine said.