What goes up must come down. That's what happened with the revenue tied to casinos in Maryland last month.
According to the latest report from Maryland Lottery and Gaming, Maryland's six casinos generated a total of approximately $163 million in revenue from slot machines and table games in April. This represented a slight decrease of about $510,000 or 0.3% compared to April 2024. Despite the overall drop in casino revenue, contributions to the state's funds showed a modest uptick.
This new information comes on the heels of last month's revenue figures, which exposed a year-over-year drop.
State Contributions and Education Trust Fund Gains
Casino gaming contributions to the state reached around $71 million in April 2025. This amount was up by roughly $775,000, or 1.1%, compared to the previous year.
A substantial portion of these contributions, roughly $51 million, went to the Education Trust Fund. This allocation marked an increase of approximately $548,000, or 1.1%, year over year. These contributions also benefit local communities, the horse racing industry, and small, minority- and women-owned businesses.
Maryland Casino Revenue Breakdown
Here's a look at how each of Maryland's casinos performed in April 2025:
MGM National Harbor
MGM National Harbor reported approximately $69 million in revenue, an increase of about $516,000 or 0.8% from April 2024.
Live! Casino & Hotel
Live! Casino & Hotel generated nearly $59 million, representing a decline of roughly $1.9 million or 3.2% from the previous year.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore
Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore City experienced significant growth, with revenues reaching nearly $16 million, an increase of approximately $905,000 or 6.2% compared to April 2024.
Hollywood Casino Perryville
Hollywood Casino in Cecil County brought in about $7.9 million, down by roughly $51,000 or 0.6% from the same month last year.
Ocean Downs Casino
Ocean Downs Casino in Worcester County recorded revenues of approximately $7.5 million, an increase of about $216,000 or 2.9% year-over-year.
Rocky Gap Casino Resort
Finally, Rocky Gap Casino generated roughly $4.1 million in revenue, marking a decrease of approximately $174,000 or 4.1% from April 2024.
While some casinos saw revenue growth, others experienced declines, leading to a mixed financial performance for Maryland's casino industry in April 2025.
Debate Over Online Casinos in Maryland Continues
Meanwhile, there is still no word on when or if online casinos will be legalized in the Old Line State.
Some people think that legalizing online gambling in Maryland could make the state a big player in the U.S., similar to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They believe it can help keep revenue from dipping, like the state has seen in the past.
However, not everyone agrees with this idea. Big casino operators, like The Cordish Companies, which run Live! Casino, have serious concerns. They worry that online gambling might take money away from their physical casinos and might not bring much extra tax money to the state.
We also saw gambling expansion voted down in Chesapeake Beach in November, so it's not the first time there's been pushback against legal wagering in Maryland.
Sweepstakes Casinos Available in Maryland
Even though real money online casinos are not yet accessible in Maryland, those who live there can enjoy social and sweepstakes casinos online. These platforms are very popular because they allow you to play for fun or purchase in-game currency, like gold coins or sweepstakes coins, which can be used to redeem prizes.
They're the only online casino option in Maryland at the moment, but as the debate over legalizing online casinos increases, as long as revenue continues to decrease at traditional casinos, online options will always be a part of the conversation.
