Report says MGM National Harbor to trim number of slots by 10%

According to NBC Washington, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency signed off on an MGM plan to trim the number of slots — also called video lottery terminals, or VLTs — by 10 percent at the Prince George’s County casino.

In 2013, Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International was approved for 3,600 slot machines at National Harbor. MGM will now have “a minimum of 3,321 units at opening,” according to the report.

MGM told state regulators that demand for table games in the state is increasing. It did not specify if its plans to provide more of those games when the facility opens in December, according to the report.

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Under Maryland regulations, casinos keep 80 percent of the proceeds from table games and 33 percent from slot machines

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The remainder helps fund education, subsidies for the horse industry and other state programs, according to the Baltimore Sun.

MGM said it expects to increase slot machine revenue at the casino as a result of the reduction, according to the report.

"VLTs have continued to evolve since 2013 with new game types and multiple denomination games that allow for increased utilization of VLTs with less machines," the casino said in a presentation to state regulators, according to the report.

The gaming commission approved similar slot machine reductions at Maryland Live! and Horseshoe Casino prior to their respective openings, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

Beyond gaming, MGM National Harbor will include a 308-room hotel, 3,000-seat theater with flexible seating, 18,000 square feet of branded retail, a 10-eatery dining hall and celebrity chef-branded specialty restaurants, 27,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, a 5,000-space parking garage and a spa.