Live! Casino & Hotel
Live! Casino & Hotel is a casino, hotel, dining, entertainment, and convention complex in Hanover, Maryland, operated by The Cordish Companies.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Live! Casino & Hotel is a large casino and integrated entertainment property in Hanover, Maryland, adjacent to Arundel Mills mall and within the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan region. The property was developed by The Cordish Companies in partnership with Simon Property Group after Maryland voters approved the expansion of legalized slot-machine gambling. It opened in stages in 2012 under the name Maryland Live! Casino and became the first casino developed under Cordish’s Live! brand. Although Cordish operates the property, ownership of the real estate and buildings transferred to Gaming and Leisure Properties in a 2021 sale-leaseback transaction. The casino was built on a former parking area next to Arundel Mills and was conceived as a destination intended to combine gaming with restaurants, live entertainment, retail-adjacent traffic, and later hotel and convention facilities. Its first phase opened on June 6, 2012, with approximately 3,200 slot machines and electronic table games. A second phase opened in September of the same year, expanding the gaming floor to approximately 4,750 machines. The property subsequently broadened beyond electronic gaming: it began operating around the clock in December 2012, introduced live table games in April 2013, and opened a 52-table poker room in August 2013. The completed casino complex contains approximately 380,000 square feet of gaming and related space. Its gaming offer includes thousands of slot machines and electronic table games, 189 live table games, and 52 poker tables. The property also provides a large six-story parking structure with space for approximately 5,000 vehicles. A parking-availability system using colored indicators was installed to help visitors locate open spaces. The casino is a separate building from Arundel Mills, although it is connected to the wider mall-area visitor environment by roads and pedestrian access. Hospitality and entertainment became more prominent with the opening of a 310-room hotel and conference center on June 6, 2018. In 2019, The HALL at Live! opened as the property’s principal concert and event venue, replacing Live! Center Stage. The venue supports the complex’s positioning as an entertainment destination rather than a gaming-only facility. Earlier entertainment programming included a smaller cabaret-style music venue operated by Rams Head, an Annapolis-based entertainment company. Dining is another major part of the property’s offer. Restaurants and food outlets associated with the complex have included The Cheesecake Factory, KOHO Korean BBQ, The Prime Rib, Phillips Seafood, Luk Fu, Morty’s Delicatessen, Noodles Ramen Bar, The Orchid Kitchen, David’s, and Luckie’s. The original development plan contemplated an Obrycki’s Crab House and Seafood Restaurant, but that restaurant ultimately did not open at the site; Phillips Seafood occupied the relevant location instead. The brand’s market proposition is regional entertainment convenience: a single destination combining casino gaming, hotel accommodation, meetings, restaurants, concerts, and proximity to a major shopping mall. Its customer base includes local and regional casino visitors, hotel guests, event attendees, diners, shoppers, and conference participants. The property is among Maryland’s largest casino destinations, but its geographic identity remains tied to Hanover and the broader Baltimore–Washington corridor rather than to a national chain of independently branded hotels.
History
Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland originated in the expansion of commercial gaming in Maryland. In 2008, Maryland voters approved legislation allowing slot-machine gambling. The Cordish Companies subsequently proposed a casino development beside Arundel Mills, a major shopping complex in Hanover owned by Simon Property Group. The proposal required voter approval in a November 2010 referendum. After the referendum passed, construction began on a former parking area adjacent to the mall. The first phase of the project opened on June 6, 2012. At opening, the property operated under the Maryland Live! Casino name and contained approximately 3,200 slot machines and electronic table games. Cordish described the development as the first casino created under its Live! brand. The company had operated other casino hotels, including Seminole Hard Rock properties, but those facilities were not originally developed under the Live! identity. A second phase opened in September 2012 and increased the property’s machine count to approximately 4,750. When fully completed, the casino occupied roughly 380,000 square feet and operated as a free-standing building separated from Arundel Mills by the mall’s internal ring road. Its location allowed the casino to draw from the mall’s visitors while maintaining a distinct entrance, gaming operation, parking structure, and entertainment program. The property expanded its operating model quickly after opening. In December 2012 it began operating continuously, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Live table games were introduced in April 2013, adding 122 tables to the electronic gaming and slot-machine offer. A 52-table poker room followed in August 2013. These changes moved the property from a slots-focused opening concept toward a more complete casino product with electronic games, dealer-operated tables, and poker. Food and beverage operations formed an important part of the complex. The property included or has included national and regional restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory, Phillips Seafood, The Prime Rib, KOHO Korean BBQ, Luk Fu, Morty’s Delicatessen, Noodles Ramen Bar, The Orchid Kitchen, David’s, the Orchid Kitchen, and Luckie’s. An Obrycki’s Crab House and Seafood Restaurant had been proposed during development, but the restaurant announced that it would not open at the property; Phillips Seafood instead occupied the planned location. Entertainment programming also developed alongside the casino. A cabaret-style venue operated by Rams Head provided live music with fixed seating for approximately 300 guests. The hospitality component arrived later. On June 6, 2018, the property opened a 310-room hotel and conference center on land adjacent to the original casino building. This addition enabled the complex to serve overnight guests, business meetings, conventions, and larger social events rather than relying solely on local day visitors. In 2019, The HALL at Live! officially opened as a concert and event venue, replacing Live! Center Stage and strengthening the property’s role as an entertainment destination. The complex includes a six-story parking garage with capacity for approximately 5,000 vehicles. A space-availability system using green and red indicators helps visitors locate open spaces. Parking arrangements also serve visitors to the nearby mall during mall operating hours. The hotel is a 17-story structure and is described in reference material as the tallest building in Anne Arundel County. In December 2021, The Cordish Companies transferred ownership of the property’s land and buildings to Gaming and Leisure Properties through a sale-leaseback transaction. Cordish remained the operating company and became the tenant under the arrangement. The transaction separated real-estate ownership from day-to-day casino and hospitality operations while preserving Cordish’s management role. The property is now positioned as a regional integrated casino resort. Its principal activities include slot and electronic gaming, live dealer table games, poker, hotel accommodation, conferences, concerts, restaurants, and other guest services. Its name reflects Cordish’s broader Live! entertainment brand, while the Maryland property remains specifically associated with Hanover, Arundel Mills, and the Baltimore–Washington market.
- 2021
Real-estate sale-leaseback completed
[1]Gaming and Leisure Properties acquired the land and buildings while Cordish retained operational control through a lease arrangement.
- 2019
The HALL at Live! opens
[1]The HALL at Live! opened as the property’s main concert and event venue, replacing Live! Center Stage.
- 2018
Hotel and conference center opens
[1]A 310-room hotel and conference center opened on June 6.
- 2013
Live table games added
[1]The property introduced 122 dealer-operated table games in April.
- 2013
Poker room opens
[1]A 52-table poker room opened in August.
- 2012
First phase opens
[1]The first phase of Maryland Live! Casino opened on June 6 with approximately 3,200 slot machines and electronic table games.
- 2012
Second phase completed
[1]The September expansion raised the property’s total machine count to approximately 4,750.
- 2012
24-hour operation begins
[1]The casino moved to continuous operation in December.
- 2010
Arundel Mills casino referendum passes
[1]Voters approved the proposal to place a slots facility near Arundel Mills, allowing construction planning to proceed.
- 2008
Maryland approves expanded slot-machine gambling
[1]Maryland voters approved the expansion of legalized slot-machine gambling, creating the regulatory basis for the future Hanover casino project.
Products and positioning
A regional integrated-resort destination combining casino gaming, hotel accommodation, dining, concerts, conferences, and entertainment next to Arundel Mills.
Casino gaming · 2012
Casino gaming floor
The casino’s core offer includes more than 3,900 slot machines and electronic table games, along with approximately 189 live dealer table games. The gaming floor represents the property’s principal customer proposition and supports a broad range of electronic and traditional casino play.
Poker · 2013
Poker room
The property’s poker room opened in 2013 with 52 tables. It expanded the casino beyond machine and house-banked table gaming by providing a dedicated space for player-versus-player poker.
Hotel · 2018
Live! Hotel
The 310-room hotel opened beside the casino in 2018. It supports overnight casino visits, business travel, conferences, concerts, and regional leisure stays.
Meetings and events · 2018
Conference center
The conference center forms part of the hotel development and allows the property to host meetings, conventions, private functions, and other group events alongside its gaming and hospitality operations.
Live entertainment · 2019
The HALL at Live!
The HALL at Live! is the property’s principal concert and event venue. It opened in 2019 and replaced Live! Center Stage, extending the complex’s entertainment offer beyond casino gaming.
Restaurants and food service · 2012
Dining collection
The property’s dining portfolio has included The Cheesecake Factory, Phillips Seafood, The Prime Rib, KOHO Korean BBQ, Luk Fu, Morty’s Delicatessen, Noodles Ramen Bar, The Orchid Kitchen, David’s, and Luckie’s. The mix spans full-service dining, seafood, steak, Korean barbecue, Asian-inspired food, deli fare, and casual options.
Controversies
2026
Louis Vuitton logo lawsuit
Reference material reports that Louis Vuitton sued The Cordish Companies over alleged imitation of the luxury company’s logo on bags and other merchandise associated with casino rewards. The available material identifies the reported dispute but does not provide further procedural details.
Brand decisions
2021
Sale-leaseback with Gaming and Leisure PropertiesM&ABackground
Cordish separated ownership of the real estate from operation of the casino and hotel.
Action taken
Gaming and Leisure Properties acquired the land and buildings, while Cordish continued operating the property under a leaseback structure.
Aftermath
The transaction made Gaming and Leisure Properties the real-estate owner while preserving Cordish’s operating role.
Transaction consideration. $1.14 billion in cash, stock, and assumed debt (December 2021)
2019
Opening of The HALL at Live!Product launchBackground
Cordish sought to strengthen the complex’s live entertainment role.
Action taken
The HALL at Live! opened and replaced Live! Center Stage as the principal concert venue.
Aftermath
The property’s offer became more clearly integrated across gaming, dining, accommodation, and ticketed entertainment.
2018
Addition of hotel and conference facilitiesStrategyBackground
The casino’s development strategy expanded from gaming toward an integrated resort model.
Action taken
A 310-room hotel and conference center opened on an adjacent site.
Aftermath
The property gained overnight accommodation and group-event capabilities, supporting longer visits and a wider customer base.
2013
Expansion into live table games and pokerProduct launchBackground
The property initially opened with a strong emphasis on slots and electronic games.
Action taken
Cordish added 122 live table games in April and opened a 52-table poker room in August.
Aftermath
The casino developed a broader gaming mix encompassing electronic games, dealer-operated tables, and poker.
2012
Launch of the Maryland Live! casinoProduct launchBackground
Maryland’s approval of expanded slot-machine gambling enabled Cordish and Simon Property Group to develop a casino beside Arundel Mills.
Action taken
The first phase opened in June 2012 with approximately 3,200 slot machines and electronic table games, followed by a second expansion later that year.
Aftermath
The project became Cordish’s first casino developed under the Live! brand and grew into a full-scale regional gaming and entertainment property.
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