Maryland Economy Already Feeling Effects Of Table Game Expansion

Maryland voters went to the polls last month with a major decision to be made at the top of the ballot. The Presidential race is always the highlight of an election, but Maryland residents had an issue on the ballot that would hit much closer to home.

A ballot question on whether to allow table games at Maryland casinos passed by a narrow 51-47 vote. The result of that passage is that existing casino owners have already started the hiring process for additional employees.

The newest casino approved in the state, Maryland Live Casino, is owned by developer David Cordish. After seeing the results of the vote on election night, Cordish asserted the next day that we would begin hiring and training new employees to work the table games.

The opposition to the table games has not gone away in the aftermath of the vote. It is expected that the courts will be called on to verify whether or not adding table games at Maryland casinos is legal under state law.

Maryland has become one of the quickest-growing casino industries in the US. The state has joined the likes of Pennsylvania, Maine, Delaware, and Massachusetts in the Northeast in approving casinos.

The table games are something that is becoming a trend in the region. When Pennsylvania added the table games back in 2011, the state quickly became the second largest in terms of gaming revenue in the country, surpassing New Jersey last December.

Maryland is expecting a similar bump in revenue at casinos that have already fared well since opening. Maryland is also considered one of the leaders in the US when dealing with the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.