Horseshoe Casino Brings Table Games To Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) --Caesars Entertainment officially breaks ground for the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. It has been a long time coming.
Political reporter Pat Warren has more on what city residents can expect.
It's official. Baltimore becomes a gambling town with the ceremonial groundbreaking for the last of the original five casinos approved by the General Assembly.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Caesar's Entertainment Chairman Gary Loveman rolled a giant pair of dice to symbolize the groundbreaking.
"It's just incredible to have this amount of private investment in the city and to know what that means, to know about the jobs its creating, to know about the property tax relief it's going to provide, to know about the school construction aid as well as to help us rebuild our recreation centers," said Rawlings-Blake.
At the time the city was first approved, gaming slots was the only game allowed and many Marylanders were alright with that.
"I'm not a table game person. I'm a slot machine girl," said one resident.
Then last year, voters approved table games.
Jim Thornton, who used to play table games in Pennsylvania, told WJZ he is glad to see them in Maryland.
"I think it's going to bring in the money that used to go out of state back in the state and I'm glad they finally realized that," said Thornton.
After years of discussion and miles of red tape, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore is rising out of this Russell Street South Baltimore lot.
"There's been those hurdles but on any $400 project, you're going to have those hurdles. The city's been great to work with, and we have a lot of great partners and a lot of great friends we've created in the city that have helped us along the way," said Chad Barnhill, general manager of Horseshoe Baltimore.
Caesars and the city look forward to this casino as an opportunity for everyone.
Employee hiring and the grand opening are set for 2014.
