Every successful gaming region within the U.S. can boast a pioneering property—a casino that proves a brick-and-mortar wagering experience can survive and thrive in new marketplace.

For the greater Washington D.C./Baltimore metropolitan area, this property is Live! Casino & Hotel, which opened its doors in 2012. Situated at the Arundel Mills Mall in the Maryland community of Hanover, Live! Casino & Hotel has grown to become one of the largest commercial casinos in the country and the top tourist destination in Maryland, attracting more than 14 million visitors per year.

Despite increasing regional competition from newer gaming properties, Live! Casino & Hotel has managed to stay current with customers by providing a setting for visitors seeking gaming entertainment with the convenience of world-class accommodations, retail and dining experiences, all at one location. Indeed, a location so dynamic that, earlier this year, Live! Casino & Hotel was recognized by the Baltimore Business Journal as a Top Five Most Popular Tourist Attraction in the greater Baltimore region.

“We are honored to have Live! Casino & Hotel recognized as a leading tourism destination in the region,” said David Cordish, chairman of  The Cordish Companies, the owners of Live! Casino & Hotel, in a press release. “Our family-owned company is proud to call Baltimore home and we are thrilled to entertain both residents as well as visitors from around the world.”

Game Approach

Live! Casino is among the top-performing commercial casinos in the U.S., known for its mix of slots and table games, mystery progressive jackpots, an “anything can happen” environment and its commitment to keeping players intrigued and engaged, according to press materials. The gaming portion of this formula includes:

  • Approximately 4,000 state-of-the-art slot machines, including a mix of the latest games and classic favorites, such as Game of Thrones, Hot Shots, a full line of Quick Hits and numerous progressive games.
  • Giant and Junior Jackpots—a unique mystery slot progressive jackpot that’s the first of its kind in the state of Maryland. Giant Jackpots are guaranteed to hit between $50,000-$100,000, while Junior Jackpots are guaranteed to hit between $5,000 and $10,000. Regardless of denomination or length of play, everyone has a chance to win.
  • 195 live action table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, pai gow, big six, three-card poker, four-card poker, Texas hold ‘em, Mississippi stud and Let It Ride. The facility also includes 50 traditional poker tables in The Poker Room.
  • 84 dealer-assist electronic table games (ETGs), including craps, roulette and baccarat, but with the added excitement and authenticity of a live-action table games dealer calling the game.
  • High-Limit slots room that features a $1 Million slot machine.
  • High-Limit tables room that includes a private gaming area.

Gaming venues within Live! Casino & Hotel includes Orchid Gaming & Smoking Patio, Maryland’s first and only outdoor gaming area, offering a visually stunning outdoor space for customers to enjoy an extensive collection of cigars and spirits, while playing popular table games and slots. Orchid is also the first gaming area in the state to offer ticket in/ticket out (TITO) tables, enabling players to move between slots and table games without carrying chips to the main cage. Orchid features 12 live action table games, including blackjack, baccarat and roulette; plus, 28 electronic table positions, including dealer assist blackjack, baccarat, craps and roulette, and bar-top terminals. In addition, more than 150 of the latest slot machines, including video poker, are available in denominations ranging from $.01 to $10. Orchid’s exclusive bar features lounge seating and an extensive collection of spirits. Specially-built humidors house premium cigars curated by Orchid’s cigar specialists.

On the i-gaming front, Live! Casino & Hotel recently launched the next generation of its online games offering—Live! Social Casino—an interactive entertainment experience, which reportedly borrows heavily from the success of social casinos worldwide.  LiveCasino.social is a cross between a freeplay website—which offers players free online gaming entertainment—and a “freemium” social casino with multi-player games, tournaments, leaderboards and achievements. The Live! Social Casino is free-to-play and is accessible to anyone 21-years-old or older. The social casino is also available as an app, downloadable from the App Store and Google Play.

Staying Loyal

In addition to cutting-edge gaming content delivered through reimagined venues, Live! Casino & Hotel also leverages player loyalty programs to stay a step ahead of the competition. The Live! Rewards Players Club at Live! Casino & Hotel, a card tier program that emphasizes bigger and better benefits for both new and established players, was recently recognized by the readers of USA TODAY as one of the nation’s top casino loyalty programs. Live! Rewards placed in the top five among all competitors in USA Today’s annual 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest.

In 2019, Live! Casino & Hotel also announced a partnership with Venuetize to release the new My Live! Rewards mobile app available for download on iPhone and Android devices.

“The My Live! Rewards app is an extension of our number one priority: superior customer service,” said Brian Uran, vice president of loyalty marketing for the property in a press release. “We are thrilled to give our guests the ability to customize their experience at our luxury hotel, on the casino floor and in the luxury day spa, all from their own device. Partnering with Venuetize has allowed us to put our guests in the driver’s seat for a premium and unique experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else.”

Among the Venuetize features available to guests:

  • A mobile wallet that allows guests to order, pay and have drinks delivered to their seats during game play at select slot machines and tables;
  • Management of hotel booking and reservations;
  • Creation of personalized profiles based on rewards tier status;
  • The ability to redeem loyalty comps and participate in drawings, special promotions and giveaways;
  • Access to recent activity on game play;
  • Ability to review the Live! special events calendar; and
  • Access to transportation, directions and indoor maps with points of interest, including specific table games and machines.

In upcoming versions of the app, guests will be able to order drinks across the entire casino floor and track the location and ETA of their beverage, access their hotel rooms with a digital key and check-in and check-out from their mobile device.

Amenity Accent

Also vital to Live! Casino & Hotel’s customer retention and growth strategy is a constant emphasis on upgrading the amenity mix. These improvements have borne fruit—the facility’s recently opened Live! Hotel was awarded first place honors in the Retail/Hospitality Project category by the Baltimore Business Journal at the 2019 Best in Real Estate Awards. The annual awards recognize the trending deals and projects in the greater Baltimore area based on a number of criteria, including dollar value, job creation, creativity and overall impact on the community.

The flagship Live! Hotel and Event Center at Live! Casino adds an additional 350,000 square feet of space to the gaming facility. The hotel tower features 310 guest rooms, an event center, meeting spaces, new dining options and a day spa/salon.

Each of these amenity components offer unique experiences for guests. For example, the Spa at Live! Casino & Hotel provides hotel guests, casino visitors and day guests a place to relax and recharge. The facility offers a variety of massage therapies, body polishes, body wraps and advanced skincare and anti-aging treatments by Villa Floriani, according to the website. In addition to five spa-level suites with private in-room treatment areas, couples or friends may enhance their time together and enjoy treatments in the duo-treatment suite, equipped with massage tables and a tub for two. Fitness enthusiasts will appreciate a fully equipped gym offering full-body strength and cardio training, complete with picturesque window views to take advantage of the dramatic landscape and fresh air. The beauty salon offers manicures, pedicures, hair services for individuals, and a featured outdoor patio area, ideal for groups of girlfriends, bridal and private partie