MGM National Harbor goes from strength to strength. Last month, it captured 40% of Maryland market share en route to a $56.5 million gross (for a property record of $1.8 million gross gaming revenue per day). Maryland Live, hanging onto 33.5% of market 
share, grossed $47 million for a 2% dip. By contrast, Horseshoe Baltimore had only 17% of market share, grossing $24 million and plummeting 19.5%. The sole gainer other than MGM was Rocky Gap Casino, where Golden Entertainment juiced business 7% for a $4 million gross. Other small fry were not so lucky. Ocean Downs (pre-table games) plunged 9% to $4 million while Hollywood Perryville slipped 5.5% to $6 million. MGM continues to fortunate in the split of play at National Harbor, which only slightly favors heavily taxed slot play, with low-tax table winnings representing 49% of the tally.
West Virginia, even though it reports on different calendar than Maryland, held its own, up 1%. Penn National Gaming‘s Charles Town Races was not quite so lucky, with total gaming revenues off 4%, mostly due to an unfortunate month at the tables, down 10%.
* Illinois casinos have been through so much adversity that it’s nice to report that they were up 4% last month. As usual, Rivers Casino led the pack (up 9%) with $38.5 million. 
Keeping pace in percentage terms was Empress Joliet, which grossed $10 million. Harrah’s Joliet was up 6% for $15.5 million and MGM Resorts International‘s Grand Victoria was flat but grossed $12.5 million. Hollywood Aurora slid 5% to a $9.5 million finish. In the St. Louis market, little old Argosy Belle rode a 7% to a $4 million gross but Gaming & Leisure Properties‘ Casino Queen continued to slump, down 6.5% to $8 million.
Boyd Gaming had moderately adverse luck at Par-A-Dice, down 1% to $6 million. Jumer’s Casino Rock Island rose 4.5% to $5.5 million and Harrah’s Metropolis ($7 million) rounded out the good news with a 6.5% gain.
* Returning to the subject of MGM, it is generating a steady stream of news this week. First came the announcement that Carlo Santana had added three months of autumn dates to his ongoing residency at Mandalay Bay‘s House of Blues. This was followed 
by the disclosure that “Los Angeles culinary legend” Roy Choi would “electrify” Sin City with a Korean-American-based culinary concept at Park MGM next fall. You won’t eat there, you’ll have a “multifaceted, multisensory experience.” (Sort of like dropping acid but legal.) What Choi doesn’t have is a name for the venue but we’re sure that will emerge before long. He’s already coined Kogi BBQ, Chego!, A-Frame, Commissary, POT and LocoL back in California. Choi is a past partner of Sydell Group, which is helming the NoMad Hotel part of Park MGM so it’s not a stretch to assume that Sydell brought him to MGM’s table, as it were.
* A tip of the cap to retiring New Jersey state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D), whose last 
day in office it is. Lesniak was an untiring champion of the casino industry and of innovation to keep the Garden State competitive, even when aforesaid innovation (expanding gaming to north New Jersey) wasn’t the best idea. The gaming industry will miss his strong voice in Trenton.
* Good news for Station Casinos, Boyd Gaming and Golden Entertainment: The privately owned suburb of Summerlin was America’s fourth-best-selling master-planned community last year. Locals casinos are looking for these kind of positive economic indicators. Summerlin was #1 on the list from 1994-2002 and leapt 37% last year, with 1,052 new homes sold. Maybe it was the new Crate & Barrel that did it (we’re kidding). However, a Golden Knights practice facility, 10 new neighborhoods and two additional elementary schools don’t hurt. Gaming played a role, with Aristocrat Technologies choosing Summerlin as the site of its new campus.
