Three Companies Vie to Operate Prince George's Casino

Three companies have submitted bids to operate Maryland's sixth casino slated to be in Prince George's County, according to reports. 

After spending nearly $40 million in ads supporting a sixth casino in Maryland, it was not a surprise that MGM Reports proposed an $800 million project at National Harbor Thursday, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Penn National Gaming proposed a $700 million Hollywood Casino Resort at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, the Post reported, after spending almost $40 million in an anti-casino ad campaign run by a special interest group.

The third bid came as a surprise, from the owner of Greenwood Racing, which owns a Pennsylvania casino formerly called Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino. That company proposed an $800 million Parx Casino Hotel & Spa in Fort Washington, the Post reported.

According to the Washington Business Journal, Penn National's bid proposes a casino with a poker room as well as slots. The property would also feature a hotel with a pool and spa, restaurants and an entertainment facility. The project also promised "4,600 direct and indirect construction jobs and 2,600 permanent jobs," WBJ reported Friday.

MGM's bid is for a 300-acre "luxury resort" along Prince George's Potomac River, the Post reported Thursday. The resort would feature a "hotel, restaurants and retail, an entertainment venue, a spa and other attractions." It's casino would feature 3,600 slot machines and at least 140 table games, the Post reported.

Finally, Greenwood Racing, Inc.'s big, which was filed under the name of its subsidiary—Maryland Casino, LLC— proposed a facility on a 22-acre parcel at the intersection of Indian Head Highway and Old Fort Road, WBJ reported.

The casino would have "4,750 slot machines, 170 table games and a 250-room hotel with a 5,000-space parking garage," the journal reported. The company also stated it would have restaurants, bars, lounges and a multi-purpose theater. The project would be 5,000 new jobs to the county.

The casino could open as early as 2016, once a Maryland panel weighs in on the proposals. The commission is set to pick one proposal by the end of the year.