Maryland Reports Fourth Straight Month of YoY Casino Decline

Maryland's gaming regulator confirmed that casinos suffered their fourth straight monthly year-over-year decline in revenue in August. 

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency reported that the state’s six casinos accrued $160 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR) during the summer month, down six percent year-over-year. That was about $10.3 million less than the figure reported one year ago.

Although spring is usually the busiest time of year for Maryland operators, the falling totals suggest that the market is losing steam.

Maryland casinos continue to decline 

Maryland’s retail gaming dens began their declines in May. According to the monthly revenue report, the $169.9 million figure was 3.7 percent lower than it had been during the prior year’s monthly period.

The streak compounded in June, when the $156.8 million total was down 2.4 percent YoY, and in July, when the $157.9 million figure represented a 4.7 percent decrease.

2026 casino revenue through August sits just under $1.3 billion. That has still created $68.5 million in funding for the state and public programs, based on the 42-61% charge for slot machines and 20% tax for table games, although it is down 2.5 percent, or $33.5 million, from 2025.

This isn’t an isolated trend, either. Year-over-year GGR was also down during January and February.

Gaming totals for Maryland’s six casinos — which offer live-dealer table games, slot machines, blackjack, and more — during August are as follows. 

Why are the casinos struggling?

There are many factors at play related to Maryland’s casino decline and the overall gaming industry.

For starters, casinos are no longer viewed as the home for gambling. Online sportsbooks, online casinos, fantasy contests, and prediction markets offered by platforms such as Kalshi have given users the chance to compete in a variety of methods and mediums at home and on the go.

The modern financial strain has also greatly reduced the spending power of the average person. The Pew Research Center found that 35 percent of Americans called the economy poor, 11 percent more than rated it good or excellent.

Additionally, the pervasiveness of gambling has bred strong opposition to operators in an effort to combat the continued expansion of gambling options. Pew found that only 20 percent of adults say that gambling is morally acceptable.

At the same time, 50 percent said that gambling was not a moral issue. That was the largest recorded amount of any country in the global survey, which included countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Australia. 

Closer to home, Virginia lawmakers have been embattled in a push to legalize a Northern Virginia casino that would unavoidably steal an audience from MGM National Harbor, which is about 5 miles away from Alexandria, Virginia. However, that fight has not led to the creation of a casino.