Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – Smokers no longer need to take a break from gambling while they light up at one of Maryland’s largest casinos. Live! Casino opened an outdoor gaming and smoking patio Thursday called Orchid.
The space is the first of its kind in a Maryland casino according to Live! Casino President Rob Norton.
Norton said before Orchid opened, people in the D.C. metro area had to travel to casinos in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or West Virginia to gamble and smoke at the same time.
A year ago Maryland Live opened a smoking patio with 16 slot machines. Norton said its popularity prompted casino officials to expand the offerings.
The new 8,500 square foot outdoor space features floor and ceiling fans to provide ventilation, and includes both table games and slot machines. It also features lounge seating, a bar and a “premium cigar program.”
Orchid will be open year-round, weather permitting.
Norton’s hoping this new amenity will make people choose Live! over its competitors including MGM, which opened a casino at National Harbor in 2016.
Since MGM set up shop in Maryland, Norton said most of Live’s loyal customers have continued to patronize the Hanover casino.
“I think those that have decided to try a new location will be coming back to see the great things that we’re having to offer like Orchid and the new hotels,” Norton said.
Live! is set to open a new 310-room hotel on Tuesday, May 22nd, to help it better compete with MGM and make the Arundel Mills location more of a resort destination.
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