BALTIMORE — Maryland’s casinos rebounded from a slow September but still came in below last October, with the two biggest operators near the Capital Beltway both losing ground.
The state’s six casinos generated $159,747,206 from slot machines and table games in October 2026, down $2.3 million, or 1.4%, from October 2025, Maryland Lottery and Gaming reported Nov. 5.
The month still beat September, when revenue was nearly flat at $151.4 million, by about $8.3 million, helped in part by October’s extra day.
Where the money goes
Gaming revenue is not the same as what the state keeps. Casino contributions to Maryland in October totaled $67.9 million, down 0.8% from a year earlier, the agency said. Of that:
- $49.8 million went to the Education Trust Fund, which helps pay for public schools statewide.
- $8.5 million went to the communities and jurisdictions where casinos operate.
- $7.8 million went to the horse racing industry.
- Nearly $1.7 million supported small, minority- and women-owned businesses.
Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties have no casinos, so they do not receive local impact grants. Their school systems share in casino money through the Education Trust Fund, which flows into the state’s public school funding formulas rather than to any specific county budget line.
Casino by casino
| Casino | County | October 2026 | Change vs. Oct. 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGM National Harbor | Prince George’s | $66,167,618 | -2.6% |
| Live! Casino & Hotel | Anne Arundel | $59,394,838 | -0.4% |
| Horseshoe Casino | Baltimore City | $13,990,906 | -9.8% |
| Ocean Downs Casino | Worcester | $8,384,236 | +2.9% |
| Hollywood Casino | Cecil | $7,078,648 | +9.8% |
| Rocky Gap Casino | Allegany | $4,730,959 | +7.4% |
MGM National Harbor, the casino closest to Southern Maryland, remained the state’s top earner but lost $1.7 million compared with a year ago. Horseshoe in Baltimore had the steepest drop, down $1.5 million. Together those two accounted for almost the entire statewide decline.
The three smallest casinos all grew. Hollywood Casino Perryville gained $633,000, Rocky Gap $328,000 and Ocean Downs $236,000.
A soft stretch
October continues a run of year-over-year declines for Maryland’s casinos. The Chronicle reported in September that revenue had fallen for a fourth straight month, and the 2027 fiscal year opened in July with MGM leading a slide.
The broader agency is still a major revenue source. Maryland Lottery and Gaming, which oversees the casinos as well as the lottery and sports betting, sent a record $1.637 billion to the state in fiscal 2026.
The agency encourages responsible play. Marylanders can get free, confidential help with a gambling problem by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or visiting mdgamblinghelp.org.
