Casino Opening Draws Thousands

If opening night was any indication, Maryland Live! casino in Hanover will be the world-class entertainment facil­ity developers imagined.

The first phase of the casino opened Wednesday, drawing a crowd of sev­eral thousand people from around the region.

Patrons began lining up outside of the casino at 1 p.m. Many were from Anne Arundel County, but others came from elsewhere to try out the $500 million facility.

Chuck and Pat Anderson of Upper Marlboro were impressed.

“It’s like Atlantic City right here in Maryland,” Pat Anderson said.

When doors opened at 10 p.m., gamblers had 3,200 slot machines, electronic table games and multiple restaurants to choose from. Women were dressed in extravagant costumes and waitresses carried trays of drinks.

Some patrons stuck to the penny slots, while others, such as John Logan of Glen Burnie, made their way to the high-limit room. There, players can gamble up to $100 per bet.

Logan did well playing electronic roulette, but “lost my (butt)” playing electronic blackjack. Still, he was im­pressed with the casino.

“It’s really beautiful,” he said. “I like it a lot.”

The casino’s location attracted some players, like Carolyn Bridges-Forte of Washington D.C., who was first in line nine hours before doors opened. She usually travels to casinos in Charlestown, W.Va., and Dover, Del. She was excited to have an option so close to home.

“I don’t have to go there no more,” she said excitedly.

David Cordish, chief executive of The Cordish Cos., said he was thrilled to see the first phase completed after years of work.

“We told Maryland we would deliver a world-class facility and we did,” he said.

Sharon Kimpson of Waldorf said she was anxious to experience opening night at the casino because it was like “making history.”

“I wanted to be a part of that,” she said.

Ronald and Terrie Wright of Hanover showed up to check out the new ca­sino, but weren’t doing any gambling. They were impressed with the variety of machines and said they plan to re­turn, especially when the Rams Head music venue opens with the second phase of the casino this fall.

“We’ll definitely be back for that,” Terrie said.

Along with Rams Head, the second phase of the casino will consist of more than 1,500 slot machines and the Baltimore-based restaurant The Prime Rib. When the second phase is com­pleted, the casino will be approximately 300 yards long and contain 4,750 slot machines.

The Prime Rib will join The Cheesecake Factory, celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Burger Palace, Phillips Seafood, Noodles, and the casino’s Live Market buffet, now open in the first phase.

Hanover-based Commercial Interiors was the lead joint-venture partner on construction of the casino. The construction project employed 2,500 people.

The casino will employ 1,500 when completed this fall. It also is anticipated to produce $400 million annually for the state and $30 million annually for the county.

Wilson Turner of Baltimore said he typi­cally travels out of state to play slots, so he was happy to see Maryland Live! open.

“It’s great to have some place close to home,” he said.