Maryland casinos up again in August

The five casinos generated $100.3 million, an increase of 3.7 percent over August 2015, according to figures released Wednesday by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.

It was the ninth straight month of combined revenue gains. The last time the casinos' collective revenue dipped was in November, when it declined about 0.5 percent.

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The August gains were led by Maryland Live, the state's largest casino. The locally owned casino reported $55.9 million in revenue from slot machines and table games, up 7.2 percent from a year earlier

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The casino, located adjacent to Arundel Mills mall, is breaking ground soon on a $200 million hotel, event center and spa.

Maryland Live had reported $60.4 million in July, its second-highest total ever. Its only better month was March 2014 ($61.8 million) before the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opened a few months later.

All of the other casinos save Hollywood Casino Perryville reported revenue increases in August over a year earlier.

The Horseshoe reported generating $27.7 million in August, a 0.5 percent increase. Revenue at the casino, which opened in August 2014, increased about 10 percent over its inaugural year.

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Analysts have attributed Maryland's upward trend in casino gambling to favorable economic conditions and increasingly effective marketing

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Construction continues on a sixth Maryland casino, the MGM National Harbor resort in Prince George's County, scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Ocean Downs in Worcester County reported revenue of $6.2 million, a 2.1 increase. Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County generated $4.5 million, up 3.4 percent. The Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County generated $5.9 million, a decrease of 9.5 percent.