Maryland Live reported revenue of $50.2 million, down about 6.6 percent from the previous month and down 4.4 percent from December 2013.Īfter months of gains, overall revenue of the state's five casinos dropped to $85.6 million in December from $90.2 million the previous month. Owing partly to stiff competition from Maryland Live, its monthly revenues are about a third less than forecast in November 2013 by a pair of state-funded consulting firms. Horseshoe reported $22.9 million in revenue from slot machines and table games in December, down about 2 percent from November. Hirsch said the $442 million casino has hosted 'in excess of a million' patrons since opening, and 'I'd put our safety record up against that of any other major entertainment and sports attraction.' In order to compete with Maryland Live, it has to get middle-aged, suburban, high-disposable-income casinogoers, and these are people that are going to be especially put off.'
'It has a unique public relations challenge, in Maryland at least, by being an urban casino as opposed to a suburban casino. Because it is in downtown Baltimore, Horseshoe 'is under a special microscope with regard to any sort of incidents that would make people take notice,' said James Karmel, a casino analyst and history professor at Harford Community College.
