Maryland’s six casinos generated $160,007,163 in gaming revenue in August, a 6% drop from a year earlier and the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year decline, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Revenue was down 3.7% in May, 2.4% in June, and 4.7% in July before August’s steeper slide, leaving casino revenue for the first two months of fiscal 2026 down roughly 2.5% from the same period last year.
The state’s cut fell along with it. Casino contributions to Maryland totaled $68,507,667 in August, down 4.2% from a year earlier, including $50,163,421 that went to the Education Trust Fund — the single largest beneficiary of casino proceeds and a funding stream now shrinking at the same time state lawmakers are grappling with a projected budget shortfall that officials estimate will grow from $2.3 billion this term to $4.1 billion by fiscal 2031. Casino money also delivered nearly $8.6 million to host communities and jurisdictions, $8 million to the horse racing industry, and $1.7 million to support small, minority- and women-owned businesses.
Only two of the state’s six casinos posted year-over-year gains. Hollywood Casino Perryville led with a 10.3% increase to $7.4 million, and Ocean Downs Casino in Worcester County edged up 0.1% to $10.3 million. The rest declined: MGM National Harbor, still the state’s top earner at $66.5 million, fell 5.1%; Live! Casino & Hotel dropped 10.2% to $56.7 million; Horseshoe Casino Baltimore fell 5% to $14.3 million; and Rocky Gap Casino Resort declined 4.1% to $4.7 million.
