November 7th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

October 2018 was a record-breaking month for casinos, but October 2019 did not replicate the feat.  Maryland's casino industry saw its biggest year-over-year decline last month, driven by a dip in gaming revenues at MGM National Harbor, the state's highest-earning casino, over the same period.  Total revenue from Maryland's six privately owned casinos was $143.9 million in October. That's an 8.9% decrease compared to October 2018, which saw casinos pull in $158 million, at the time their highest take since the industry got its start in the state. That record was eclipsed in March, when casinos reported a total revenue of $163.3 million.  

MGM contributed $73.4 million to that record-breaking total a year ago, marking the Prince George's County casino's highest-ever revenue. Last month, the casino reported $59.9 million in revenue, an 18.5% decline.

Still, MGM continued to lead the state's other casinos, which had a mixed month in October.

Baltimore's Horseshoe Casino reported $19.1 million, a 9.1% decrease, while Live Casino & Hotel in nearby Anne Arundel County pulled in $47.6 million, up 1.3% compared with a year ago.

Elsewhere in the state, Ocean Downs Casino reported $6.7 million in revenue, an 8.8% increase; Rocky Gap Casino Resort took in $4.8 million, a 6.4% boost; and Hollywood Casino Perryville saw a slight decline with $5.8 million in revenue, a 0.1% decrease.