Caesars Entertainment announced today that the company supports legislation to authorise a sixth Maryland gaming location in Prince George’s County.
The lead investor in a proposed Baltimore casino, Trevor Busche, who is the vice president of corporate development at Caesars, told a gathering of the Baltimore House delegation that Caesars does not welcome the additional competition.
However, he did say that the company wants “certainty in the market” and that he also likes several other provisions in the bill.
A report by The Washington Post states among these bill provisions are:
- To allow table games in addition to the slot machines at all of the state’s casinos;
- To incrase the share of proceeds that operators may keep from 33% up to 40%.
In response to questions from lawmakers, Busche said Caesars has no interest in seeking the license for the Prince George’s casino. “No, we’ve had no discussions, we’ve had no consideration,” he said.
A separate House panel plans a hearing Friday afternoon on the bill that would authorise the Prince George’s casino.
The owner of another casino, scheduled to open in June in Anne Arundel County which neighbours the area, has opposed the addition of a site in Prince George’s. President of the Cordish Cos, Joe Weinberg, who is also the project’s developer, this week went as far as calling the idea “insane.”
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is pushing for a billion-dollar casino at National Harbor. Rosecroft Raceway, the recently reopened horse track, is also interested in slots, the report stated.
