Maryland Live

The gambling expansion bill crafted by a House panel will yield an additional $174 million in state revenue in 2016-2017, but more than three-quarters of the money comes from a reform that could have been adopted without controversy had it been considered on its own. Table games and a new Prince George's casino -- the gambling expansion measures that tied the General Assembly in knots this spring and prompted the rare August special session --...

A key House committee voted Monday night to guarantee deeper tax breaks for some Maryland casino operators, the most significant change so far to Gov.Martin O'Malley's gambling bill. The gambling expansion measure, as amended by the Ways and Means Committee, was expected to move to the floor of the House of Delegates for debate Tuesday. Among other changes, the Maryland Live casino at Arundel Mills would see its tax rate cut from the current 67 percent to 51 percent over the next couple of years - with an option to bring it down to 49 percent if an independent commission agreed.

If Maryland legislators are looking for a sign to tell them whether to support Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to expand the state's gambling program to include a sixth casino, they got it this week when Penn National Gaming asked if it could give back a third of the slot machines at its Hollywood Casino in Perryville. That facility had been reeling since a new competitor,the Cordish Cos. Maryland Live, opened in June, and Penn National officials said having fewer machines would save them money and make the casino look a little less depressingly empty for those who still gamble there.

Maryland Live Casino will officially open its Rams Head Center Stage concert venue on Aug. 30, officials announced today. The Charlie Daniels Band will be the first act to perform at an invitation-only event. Invitations will be sent to select Live Rewards Card members, according to Carmen Gonzales, Maryland Live's Director of Communications. The first shows open to the public at the 500-seat venue will feature local acts, including the Real Geniuses (Aug. 31), Crazy in Stereo (Sept.

On a recent night, sandwiched between television coverage of Olympic dressage and synchronized diving, a commercial touted the benefits of a new casino at National Harbor in Prince George's County. "Good-paying jobs. Better schools," said a man's voice. "But it won't happen if the special interests get in the way. " Within minutes, a woman in another ad warned that the state legislature is rushing a deal to build a casino at National Harbor. The culprit? "Casino special interests," she said.

Maryland's newest slots casino is expanding Thursday evening, opening more floor space with over 500 additional gambling machines and another bar. At 6 p.m., the two-month-old Maryland Live Casino at Arundel Mills mall will open the Rams Head Bar and additional floor space with 531 more slot machines and electronic table games, according to a statement released Thursday by the casino. The Cordish Cos., the owner and operator of the $500 million casino that opened June 6, expects to complete the facility by the end of November.

As Maryland politicians wrangle over holding a special session to expand gambling, the state's newest casino surged out of the gate, reporting revenue of more than $1 million a day in its first month. Gambling operations at Maryland Live Casino brought in $28.5 million during the facility's first 25 days, or nearly 70 percent of the state's total gaming revenue in June, the Maryland Lottery announced Tuesday. The operation's gross gambling revenue was $359.27 per day per machine — a figure that lottery director Stephen Martino expects to decline in the coming months.

When it comes to politics, I no longer have any respect for our elected officials. I will not vote for an incumbent. First, there were guidelines as to how many casinos would be available for bidding. Maryland Live abided by the rules and gave the state a class operation. Now, a new casino opportunity is being touted forPrince George's County("A home run for the state," June 15). Gee, I wonder if Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has anything to do with it? Will he benefit under the table?

David Cordish seems to have set up a winner with the Maryland Live! casino in Arundel Mills ("Maryland Live! casino opens its doors," June 7), but the name that comes to my mind is much older: Millard Tawes. He was a governor, like many, the state would have been much better without. His "I know what is good for people" attitude took slot machines away from Maryland in the mid '60s, so instead of being the East Coast leader in allowing people to enjoy gaming, the state became a terrible also ran. Steven Sass, Baltimore

On opening night of the big, snazzy Maryland Live Casino, I took Forget-About It Money (money I was prepared to forget about) to something called the High Limit Room because I heard you could get a drink there without waiting long in line. A uniformed casino employee pointed me toward an attractive, middle-aged woman in a black dress. She was sitting in front of a $5 machine. The machine had just paid off $800. For someone who a moment earlier had won that kind of money after two bets, the woman seemed incredibly relaxed - or perhaps she was emotionally spent.