Horseshoe Casino Baltimore

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore is an urban casino and entertainment complex on Russell Street in Baltimore, Maryland. It occupies a strategically important location on the city's south side, near the Camden Yards sports district, M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park, and Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The property was developed after Maryland voters authorized expanded casino gaming in a 2008 constitutional referendum and subsequently approved a sixth casino license and table games in the 2012 Question 7 vote. The casino opened on August 26, 2014, following a Caesars Entertainment-led consortium's successful bid to develop and operate a Baltimore gaming facility. The property is owned by CBAC Gaming, a consortium that includes Caesars Entertainment, Jack Entertainment, CVPR Gaming Holdings, STRON-MD Limited Partnership, and PRT TWO, LLC. Caesars manages the casino and supplies the Horseshoe operating identity, gaming expertise, and broader entertainment and hospitality platform. The facility was reported as a $442 million development and contains a 122,000-square-foot gaming floor. Its principal gaming offer includes video lottery terminals, table games, and a dedicated World Series of Poker room. The property also includes the 20,000-square-foot Baltimore Marketplace, which combines locally themed food outlets with restaurants, bars, and lounges. Its 14Forty bar has a 24-hour liquor license, an unusual feature within Maryland's alcohol-service landscape because casinos are among the few venues permitted to serve alcohol continuously. Horseshoe Baltimore is positioned as more than a standalone gambling venue. Its location beside Baltimore's professional sports facilities gives it a large event-driven audience, while its restaurants, lounges, casino entertainment, and proposed surrounding development are intended to connect the property with the city's broader visitor economy. The Walk @ Warner Street concept was designed to create an entertainment corridor linking the casino with M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park, and the Inner Harbor. Plans associated with the corridor have included Topgolf and a concert venue, although the concert-hall project experienced a prolonged delay and has been associated with the name The Ostend Baltimore, formerly The Paramount Baltimore. In October 2018, the casino announced a multiyear marketing agreement with the Baltimore Ravens, making Horseshoe Baltimore the team's official casino partner. The arrangement reinforced the property's sports-oriented positioning and its proximity to the stadium district. At the same time, the casino has been the subject of civic criticism concerning public support, policing requirements, and anticipated financial reimbursements. Local reporting questioned whether public costs and expected benefits were proportionate, particularly when early casino revenue did not meet initial expectations. These criticisms form part of the wider debate surrounding urban casino development in Baltimore rather than an identified finding of legal wrongdoing by the property. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore therefore combines regulated gaming, food and beverage operations, hospitality, sports marketing, and entertainment programming. Its identity is closely tied to the Horseshoe brand and Caesars' management platform, while its ownership remains with the Maryland-focused CBAC consortium.

The development of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore followed Maryland's broader decision to expand legalized casino gaming. In a 2008 constitutional referendum, Maryland voters approved video lottery terminal casino facilities in Baltimore City and four other locations. The vote established the legal framework for a Baltimore casino but did not by itself determine the eventual operator, design, or ownership structure. A second major political step came in November 2012, when voters considered Question 7. The measure authorized a sixth casino license for the state and expanded gaming by allowing table games at Maryland casino sites. It passed with approximately 52 percent of the vote after an unusually expensive campaign. More than $90 million was spent by the opposing campaigns. Support came from interests including MGM Resorts International, The Peterson Companies, and labor organizations, while opposition was funded largely by Penn National Gaming, then the owner of Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. The referendum created the conditions for a larger and more diversified Baltimore gaming facility. In July 2012, the Maryland Lottery Commission approved a Caesars Entertainment-led consortium's proposal to develop and operate the Baltimore facility. The ownership group became CBAC Gaming. Its members include Caesars Entertainment, Jack Entertainment, CVPR Gaming Holdings, STRON-MD Limited Partnership, and PRT TWO, LLC. Caesars serves as manager of the property, while the Horseshoe name connects the Baltimore venue to Caesars' casino portfolio. Baltimore-based architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross prepared the initial casino designs. After construction approval, the renderings were revised by Cleveland-based KA Architecture, which had also designed Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. The resulting project was conceived as an urban casino rather than an isolated resort, with a location on Russell Street close to Baltimore's major sports venues and Inner Harbor attractions. The facility opened on August 26, 2014. Its opening-night program included outdoor performances by Andy Kushner Entertainment's Rhythm6 band, vertical dance performances by BANDALOOP, and pyrotechnics before the doors opened to invited VIPs. Inside, Gladys Knight provided the principal entertainment, while Iggy Azalea and Pauly D supplied additional programming. The opening marked the arrival of the first major casino property in Baltimore City under the state's expanded gaming regime. The completed casino was described as a two-story urban property with a reported development cost of $442 million. It contains a 122,000-square-foot gaming floor with video lottery terminals, table games, and a World Series of Poker room. The 20,000-square-foot Baltimore Marketplace adds food outlets, restaurants, bars, and lounges, giving the property a hospitality and nightlife component beyond gaming. The 14Forty bar's 24-hour liquor license is a distinctive operating feature and has also created a special security and alcohol-management challenge because all-day alcohol service is unusual in Maryland outside casino settings. The casino's location has shaped its marketing and development strategy. It is close to M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, and Oriole Park, home of the Baltimore Orioles. In October 2018, Horseshoe Baltimore announced a multiyear marketing deal making it the Ravens' official casino partner. The agreement strengthened the property's connection to Baltimore sports and positioned the casino as part of the stadium district's event economy. A related urban-development concept, Walk @ Warner Street, was proposed as an entertainment district linking Horseshoe Baltimore to the Camden Yards sports complex and the Inner Harbor. The plans have included Topgolf and a concert venue. The concert project was announced in 2019 but experienced a lengthy delay; reference material identifies the venue as The Ostend Baltimore, formerly The Paramount Baltimore, and reports that construction resumed in August 2025. The property has also generated civic debate. Baltimore Brew criticized city financial support, additional police requirements, and contemplated reimbursements, particularly in light of early revenue that was reportedly lower than anticipated. These issues illustrate the fiscal and public-policy tensions that accompanied casino development in Baltimore. Based on the available material, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore remains an operating urban casino managed by Caesars for the CBAC Gaming ownership group, with its business combining gaming, food and beverage, entertainment, and sports-oriented partnerships.

• 2025

  Construction reported to resume on the concert venue

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that construction resumed in August 2025 on the venue now known as The Ostend Baltimore, formerly The Paramount Baltimore.

• 2019

  Concert venue proposed for Walk @ Warner Street

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  A concert hall was announced as part of the planned entertainment district connecting the casino with Baltimore's stadium area.

• 2018

  Baltimore Ravens partnership announced

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  Horseshoe Baltimore became the official casino partner of the Baltimore Ravens under a multiyear marketing agreement.

• 2014

  Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opens

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  The casino opened on August 26 with gaming, restaurants, bars, lounges, and live entertainment.

• 2012

  Caesars-led consortium wins Baltimore development bid

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  The Maryland Lottery Commission approved a Caesars Entertainment-led consortium to develop and operate a Baltimore casino.

• 2012

  Question 7 expands Maryland casino gaming

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  Voters approved a sixth casino license and table games at Maryland casino properties.

• 2008

  Maryland approves expanded video lottery terminal gaming

  [1]Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org

  A constitutional referendum authorized casino facilities in Baltimore City and four other Maryland locations.

A large urban casino and entertainment destination that combines regulated gaming, dining, nightlife, and sports-linked hospitality in Baltimore's stadium and Inner Harbor area.

• Gaming · 2014

  Casino gaming floor

  The property's central gaming operation occupies approximately 122,000 square feet and combines video lottery terminals with table games. It is designed as a large urban casino serving local, regional, and event-driven visitors rather than as a destination resort separated from the city.

• Poker · 2014

  World Series of Poker room

  A dedicated World Series of Poker room provides the property with a branded poker offering within its broader casino floor. It extends the gaming mix beyond electronic machines and table games and connects the Baltimore venue with the wider Caesars poker identity.

• Food and beverage · 2014

  Baltimore Marketplace

  The 20,000-square-foot Baltimore Marketplace is a food-and-beverage area featuring Charm City-themed outlets, three premier restaurants, and multiple bars and lounges. It supports the property's positioning as an entertainment destination as well as a gaming venue.

• Bar and nightlife · 2014

  14Forty

  14Forty is a bar within the casino that holds a 24-hour liquor license. Its continuous alcohol-service capability is an unusual feature in Maryland and creates a distinct nightlife proposition within the Horseshoe Baltimore complex.

• Entertainment district

  Walk @ Warner Street

  Walk @ Warner Street is a planned entertainment corridor intended to connect Horseshoe Baltimore with the Camden Yards sports complex, M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park, and the Inner Harbor. Associated plans have included Topgolf and a concert venue, although development of the concert component has been delayed.

• 2018Baltimore Ravens official casino partnership

  Baltimore · Maryland · United States

  Horseshoe Baltimore entered a multiyear marketing agreement with the Baltimore Ravens. The partnership used the casino's proximity to M&T Bank Stadium to associate the property with professional football and Baltimore's event economy.

  Outcome. The agreement designated Horseshoe Baltimore as the Ravens' official casino partner.

  Source

• 2019

  Development of the Walk @ Warner Street entertainment corridorStrategy

  Background

  Horseshoe Baltimore sought to connect its property more closely with the surrounding stadium complex and Inner Harbor visitor areas.

  Action taken

  A planned entertainment district was advanced with proposed attractions including Topgolf and a concert venue.

  Aftermath

  The concert venue encountered a prolonged delay; reference material reports resumed construction in August 2025 under the name The Ostend Baltimore, formerly The Paramount Baltimore.

  Source

• 2018

  Sports-oriented marketing expansionStrategy

  Background

  The casino is located close to M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park, making professional sports a natural source of event traffic and brand visibility.

  Action taken

  Horseshoe Baltimore announced a multiyear marketing agreement with the Baltimore Ravens.

  Aftermath

  The property became the Ravens' official casino partner and strengthened its association with Baltimore sports entertainment.

  Source

• 2014

  Launch of the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore propertyProduct launch

  Background

  Following Maryland voter approval of expanded gaming and regulatory approval of the development bid, the Baltimore facility was constructed near the city's stadium district.

  Action taken

  The property opened on August 26 with gaming, poker, restaurants, bars, lounges, and opening-night entertainment.

  Aftermath

  The opening established Horseshoe Baltimore as a major urban casino and entertainment property in Maryland.

  Reported development cost. $442 million (At opening in 2014)

  Source

• 2012

  Caesars-led consortium pursues Baltimore casino licenseStrategy

  Background

  Maryland's expansion of casino gaming created an opportunity for a new Baltimore City facility. The Maryland Lottery Commission evaluated competing development proposals.

  Action taken

  The commission approved a Caesars Entertainment-led consortium's bid to develop and operate the casino, later associated with the CBAC Gaming ownership group.

  Aftermath

  The approval led to the design, construction, and eventual opening of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore in 2014.

  Source

1. 1Horseshoe Casino Baltimoreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Horseshoe Baltimorecaesars.com