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GM Resorts International has unveiled the first renderings of its new sportsbook at MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino near Washington D.C. While the gambling venue hasn’t secured approval yet to launch sports wagering in Maryland, the company has prepared its sportsbook to go live with all necessary amenities in place once allowed to do so.
The brand new BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge has capacity for 350 people and is virtually complete, according to Washington Business Journal. It features a 110 foot-long wraparound video screen, recliner-to-stadium seating, a full bar, seven betting windows and 17 betting kiosks.
According to the gaming giant, the new sportsbook is set to serve as the “archetype” for future MGM Resorts sports betting destinations. The 8,000 square-foot venue includes amenities such as a DJ booth and radio broadcast facilities.
The sportsbook sits on the casino floor next to National Market and can only be accessed from the gaming floor, and not from the resort’s food hall. Guests will access the space through a full bar built beneath a 360-degree halo screen projecting games in all directions, further reports the previously cited news source.
Seating sections, placed at various heights, will offer sports betting enthusiasts unobstructed views towards the wraparound screen. Customers can also order food and drink from National Market via mobile to have it delivered to their seats.
The new Sportsbook & Lounge isn’t the only space within National Harbor in which guests will be able to place wagers. The TAP Sports Bar will get four kiosks and four betting windows, while the second level of the casino will get 10 kiosks and five betting windows. The main casino floor will get six kiosks.
Betting in Maryland could start late this fall or early this winter, as the state started accepting applications from potential sports betting hosts earlier this month. Only entities that were specifically named in the state’s sports betting legislation, including casinos, professional sports teams and race tracks, are eligible for a license for the time being.
State regulators are currently working with 17 entities on background check investigations before licenses are granted. The state Commission plans to accelerate the application process by allowing interim licenses for applicants who already have sports wagering permits in other states with similar background investigation standards.
Along with the assigned licenses –five off-track betting facilities, two bingo halls, Maryland’s six casinos, two race tracks and three sports stadiums– the state’s sports betting bill will award up to 30 additional retail and 60 online sportsbooks to state businesses.
In the meantime, the National Harbor lounge is expected to open in mid-October as a food and beverage venue until the license is approved. The BetMGM app, now live in 16 states, will permit mobile sports wagering.
First opened in December 2016, MGM National Harbor has proved to be a profitable endeavor for the casino operator. In September, it led gaming revenue in Maryland, posting $67.4 million revenue, up 12.9% from same period 2020.
MGM National Harbor is a $1.4 billion resort featuring 160,000 square feet of gaming space, a 308-room hotel, a theater with seating for up to 3,000 people, branded retail, and 50,000 square feet of meeting space.
“We are actively building out a variety of experiences that will make MGM National Harbor the most cutting-edge destination in the DMV to watch and bet on sports,” said the casino in a statement earlier this year, upon announcement of the sportsbook.
