Maryland Live Back on Top After Taking Wind Out of MGM National Harbor’s Sails

Maryland Live is once again the top casino in their state after the Arundel Mills resort generated more gaming revenue during the thirty days of February than its new rival MGM nationwide Harbor.
Maryland Live, billed as the family friendly casino when compared with MGM nationwide Harbor, saw the gambling money that is most come through its doors during February.
Collectively, the state’s six gambling enterprises pulled in $128.7 million in gross gaming win, Maryland’s second-best all-time performance. The record mark came in December after the opening that is grand of Harbor led to a win of $133.5 million.
Maryland Live’s revenue totaled $46.29 million month that is last narrowly edging MGM’s property that sits simply outside Washington, DC, at $45.77 million. The two casinos represented the lion’s share of gaming earnings, with Horseshoe Baltimore coming in a distant third with $22 million.
Three smaller gambling that is regional, Hollywood Casino Perryville, Rocky Gap Casino Resort, plus the Casino at Ocean Downs, posted a combined $14.6 million.
The Cordish Companies, the parent organization of reside that is headquartered in Maryland, credited its ‘family approach’ for the property retaking the top spot. In a statement the group additionally says being locally owned enables it to provide a better experience to clients, in what’s undoubtedly a slight jab at MGM.
Mixed Results
The February gambling report represents a 38 percent increase on the same month in 2016. Casinos took $35.4 million more income through the month that is shortest of the season, but the information also highlights plenty of concerns for Maryland gaming.
Excluding MGM’s $1.4 billion resort, gambling was actually down more than 11 %. And even though Maryland Live is championing its February victory, in truth the casino amassed 14.3 % less revenue year-over-year.
February Maryland Live’s $46.29 million is down $7.72 million compared to last. And conditions could not have now been riper for strong revenues, as the month had been one of the warmest on record.
Since MGM announced its intends to build nationwide Harbor, Maryland Live has been scrambling to make sure its property remained competitive from the behemoth outside of DC in Oxford Hill. Live and National Harbor are about 35 miles aside, but both are competing for the DC that is wealthy and Virginia demographic.
Maryland Live announced the construction of a 17-story resort tower with 310 guest spaces summer that is last. MGM National Harbor offers 308 hotel rooms.
Nationwide Harbor Underwater?
MGM’s latest casino to open in america had been downright packed during its opening month. The resort asked would-be people to stay away unless they’d a reservation.
Just 90 days later, excitement and enthusiasm has seemingly calmed.
In the opening days, a nightly stay at the hotel ran between $399 and $599. But midweek rates are now since low as $229, though weekends are still in the range that is prior.
MGM likely isn’t too worried about the gaming report february. While Live continues to fret within the competition, MGM CEO Jim Murren has repeatedly stated that the property seeks to be a destination resort for not just gamblers but also visitors to the nation’s capital.
Casino Bus Crash Kills Four, Charter Safety Concerns Continue
A casino coach crash in Mississippi has killed four passengers and injured 40 more, seven critically.
A casino bus crash in Mississippi allegedly became stuck on a railroad track, and tragedy struck when an approaching train collided with the charter vehicle. (Image: Kevin McGill/Associated Press)
The incident occurred in Biloxi after the bus reportedly became stuck while attempting to cross train tracks. Moments later, a freight train traveling at boosts to 45 MPH collided with the bus and pushed it some 300 legs before coming to a stop.
According to reports that are local the bus was touring regional casinos in Mississippi and Louisiana.
At that time of the crash, the coach had been traveling from the Hollywood Gulf Coast Casino in Bay St. Louis to the Boomtown Casino in Biloxi. That’s about an hour’s drive east.
The excursion that is weeklong organized by a senior citizens’ center in Texas. The area where the accident happened has road signs warning drivers of low ground clearance while investigators say it’s not immediately clear whether the bus incurred mechanical problems.
The names of the victims, and whether the motorist was one of the fatalities, was not released.
Charter Gambling
The casino bus crash comes not as much as five months after a California gambling trip ended in tragedy. In October, 13 people aboard a tour bus were killed after the driver slammed in to free online slot machines cleopatra the straight back of an semi-truck that is 18-wheeler Interstate 10 near Palm Springs.
In that event, passengers paid around $30 for round-trip fare and slot that is free from Los Angeles to a remote casino near Salton City called Red Earth.
Tour companies and regional casinos usually reach agreements where gambling establishments provide slot money to passengers arriving on certain charters and spend the bus company a little stipend that is per-customer.
This is why busses like the main one involved in the Palm Springs accident drive lengths that are great passing multiple gambling enterprises in the process, to reach at a location like Red Earth.
Growing Concern
After fall that is last tragedy in California, the National Transportation protection Board (NTSB) confirmed that the rise of casino bus accidents was a severe concern to the federal agency that is tasked with investigating civil accidents.
In mid-January, a Greyhound motorcoach crashed in San Jose, California, and killed two people. But fatalities aboard chartered busses continue to be relatively rare compared to other modes of transportation.
According to the NTSB, in 2015 just 49 bus passengers had been killed in highway accidents. Passenger cars and trucks that are light vans accounted for over 22,400 deaths.
The NTSB is in Mississippi to investigate this week’s crash. Straight Back home at its Washington, DC, headquarters, the agency is attempting to determine if more oversight that is stringent of charter companies is needed.
In 2013, the NTSB publicly scolded inspectors at the Federal engine Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for failing to detect evident and safety that is significant on busses that passed inspections.
‘Our investigators found that in many cases, the poor doing company ended up being on FMCSA’s radar for violations, but ended up being permitted to continue operating . . . until they had deadly crashes,’ the NTSB said at the time.
Former US Secretary of the Interior Salazar Warns Connecticut Over Satellite Casino
Kenneth Salazar, US Secretary to the Interior under Barack Obama, has warned Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy over ‘legal dangers’ concerning the state’s proposal to permit the construction of the tribal casino outside sovereign tribal lands.
Ken Salazar, former US Secretary to the Interior, now MGM consultant, believes that Connecticut will struggle to receive federal approval for a new casino handle the Mohegan and Mashantucket tribes. (Image: Politico.com)
Salazar, who is a paid up consultant for MGM Resorts International, informed the governor that the proposed ‘satellite’ casino could jeopardize the state’s revenue-sharing agreements utilizing the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans, which run the Foxwoods and Mohegan Casinos in south Connecticut, which could cost hawaii billions in the long run.
MGM is desperate to stop Connecticut’s plans to just establish a casino 13 kilometers south for the MGM Springfield, presently under construction across the border in Massachusetts.
The Connecticut casino has been conceived purely as a method to blunt MGM Springfield’s competitive edge contrary to the Connecticut casino sector and to protect Connecticut jobs.
MGM has made no key of the truth that it expects a large portion of footfall for the own casino that is new come from Connecticut residents.
Borderline Legal
The satellite casino is controversial plan because the Connecticut legislature would need to pass a law permitting the two tribes, known collectively as MMCT, to run the state’s first ever casino outside tribal lands. The tribes will be the entities that are only by law to operate casinos in the state.
MGM has sued Connecticut on the grounds that this is unconstitutional plus in violation of the Commerce Clause as it bars out-of-state rivals from competing to build up casinos in the state, discriminating, says MGM, in favor of the 2 tribes.
The casino giant also attempted to obtain an amendment added up to a federal defense bill that would have prohibited indigenous American tribes from running casinos within their home state outside their reservations but it had been scuttled by vigilant congressman from Connecticut.
However the question of legality lingers, and week that is last Malloy requested that the state AG George Jepsen prepare a formal viewpoint in the legal ramifications of the proposal and to measure the likelihood of MGM successfully blocking it in the courts.
Substantial Danger
Salazar’s intervention on behalf of MGM, then, is well-timed. Composing in an open letter addressed to Malloy, dated March 7, he writes that the 25 % revenue share which has existed between the state and also the tribes for 2 decades are going to be threatened, inspite of the fact that MMCT has proposed amendments towards the agreements that would ensure the payments towards the state will never stop.
‘Under federal law … amendments to a tribal gaming compact need approval by the U.S. Department of Interior, which I led for five years throughout the Obama management,’ wrote Salazar.
‘Based on that experience ( as well as on my work on Native American legal issues), i really believe there is a risk that is substantial the tribe’s proposed amendments will never receive the requisite approval, by which situation Connecticut’s entitlement to the 25-percent revenue stream would probably terminate.’
AN MMCT spokesman was unmoved by the contents associated with letter. ‘MGM is willing to cover anybody and every person to stop our project from going ahead because they know our proposal will probably keep revenue and jobs in Connecticut,’ he said.
Glenn Straub Ups Attacks on Atlantic City, Says New Jersey ‘Rapes’ Companies
Glenn Straub claims when you come to New Jersey, business owners ‘have to take all your clothing off’ and allow hawaii to take advantage that is full. ‘They don’t know how to perhaps not rape you,’ he opined.
Glenn Straub (middle), seen here at a Casino Control Commission meeting last month, is not used to Atlantic City, but that does not suggest the Florida-based businessman is going to play by brand New Jersey’s guidelines. (Image: Atlantic City Primetime)
Yep, Straub just went there. The developer that is florida-based officially eliminated any politically correct buffer he might have had in describing Atlantic City. Chatting with all the Associated Press, Straub lambasted the government and casino regulators in the Garden State.
Asked why he isn’t ready to play by the guidelines that have been set forth, such as playing the program that is PILOT re payment instead of fees), Straub answered, ‘I’d be broke. They’re trying to make me do just what my predecessors did.’
Straub purchased the Revel that is shuttered Atlantic, a resort that cost $2.4 billion to construct, for $82 million in bankruptcy court. But since his acquisition nearly two years ago, the businessman has engaged in a number of fights with the state’s Casino Control Commission (CCC) and Atlantic City’s local leaders.
Straub argues he doesn’t require a casino license since he’s likely to be leasing their gambling flooring to a third-party that is currently in the process of obtaining a CCC permit.
But that does not adhere to Atlantic City laws. Morris Bailey received a license on his behalf for their Resorts Casino despite also hiring a vendor to run the gaming area.
Layers of Bureaucracy
Straub’s frustrations aren’t out from the norm in terms of business that is doing Atlantic City. The beachfront gambling town is infamous for its complicated environment that is regulatory.
The Casino Control Commission, Division of Gaming Enforcement, and Casino Reinvestment Development Authority are all involved in licensing properties, but owners that are incoming often confused as to which agency is truly in charge. Muddying the procedure may be the known undeniable fact that the city itself is responsible for building inspections and infrastructure tasks.
Mayor Don Guardian (R) happens to be attempting to help owners navigate the burdens that are complex. The controversial mayor who is at the center for the state’s takeover associated with neighborhood federal government says he routinely meets with owners who have invested at least $1 million in the city.