The grand opening of the MGM National Harbor casino Thursday brings more competition for employees and players to other Maryland casinos.
MGM National Harbor may draw players away from Maryland Live and Baltimore’s Horseshoe casinos, but it’s too soon to tell.
But the new kid on the block has attracted dealers, bartender, supervisors and hosts from the other two casinos.
“We’re becoming an employer of choice and we had a lot of applications from not only Maryland but from other gaming markets on the east coast. We have hired some of those folks,” said Gordon Absher of the MGM National Harbor.
Because each casino trains employees extensively, it hurts to lose employees.
Baltimore's Horseshoe had 1,900 employees when it opened two years ago, but now it is down to 1,500. It held a job fair last week offering a $500 bonus for employees with casino experience.
Maryland Live has been the biggest revenue producer of all the casinos in Maryland, but competition from the MGM National Harbor may hurt its bottom line.
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State lawmakers decided years ago, however, that those casinos can keep a higher share of slots revenue once MGM opens, which may help offset lost sales.
Maryland Live and Baltimore’s Horseshoe may still retain loyal players. Myron Lloyd said he lives equal distances from Maryland Live and MGM National Harbor but he will be sticking with Maryland Live.
“I will definitely be staying here at Maryland Live. I feel like they have a great community for the players and they've made a lot of strides in their poker room,” he said.
Caroline Shillace, from Virginia, on the other hand, said she’s picking the option with the shortest drive.
“I’ll be going to MGM.”
