BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland casinos are cutting back on the number of slot machines to make room for more table games and other amenities.
The Washington Post reports that over the past three months, the state's three largest casinos have eliminated 1,350 slot machines. That's a 16 percent reduction in the number of slots at Maryland Live, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and Hollywood Casino Perryville.
If the trend continues, Maryland could start to lose out on tax revenue. The state taxes slot machine earnings at rates between 57 and 61 percent. Table-game earnings are taxed at 20 percent.
However, the state is also expected to gain thousands of new slot machines next year when the MGM National Harbor Casino opens in Prince George's County.
