Baltimore Casino: Business Decline Driven By City Violence

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- From riots to record violence, the city of Baltimore and its businesses have seen a huge negative impact.

Marcus Washington has more on the impact on one of the city's newest and more popular businesses.

When the Horseshoe Casino opened nearly 10 months ago, it was certainly the talk of the town. But as Baltimore saw civil unrest, the casino's general manager says, like many businesses, they felt the impact financially.

The eyes of the world watched as Baltimore faced some of the hardest weeks in decades. From the unrest following the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in April, to 43 homicides in May -- the largest number in more than 40 years.

When the unrest began in Baltimore, April was set to be the best month for Horseshoe Casino since opening its doors in August.

"It was a challenging time, obviously. It was a challenging time for a number of businesses within the city, and we're just glad that we're back to operating business as usual here at Horseshoe," said Chad Barnhill, General Manager, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.

Like many businesses, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore faced challenges -- from the danger perception affiliated with anything Baltimore, to the curfew -- shutting down the city by 10 p.m. for days.

"You know, it's funny because being open less than a year, we're still learning a lot," said Barnhill. "And we're gauging what promotions customers react to, which ones they respond to."

Barnhill says they are hosting a series of concerts to get more people back -- because they are open and ready to entertain.

"It did rebound a little bit sluggish, but we're feeling very good right now about where the business is headed and the fact that people are feeling very comfortable in coming back to Horseshoe Casino Baltimore," said Barnhill.

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore guaranteed employees their pay during the time Baltimore City was under curfew.

For a list of Horseshoe summer concerts and more, CLICK HERE.