Until the rule was changed, dealers at Maryland casinos had to stand pat on all 17s.

In blackjack, players try to score higher than the dealer without going over 21. Last year, regulators reduced the required average annual payouts to players from slot machines and approved a request from casinos to allow blackjack dealers to draw a card on a hand known as a 'soft 17.' A 3 percent edge, for example, means a casino pays $97 to winning players out of $100 wagered and keeps $3. The state has taken other steps in recent years to provide casinos the regulatory leeway to increase their house advantage.Ĭasinos make much of their money because of a built-in advantage tied to the odds. MGM National Harbor drew about 170,000 people in its first week, the resort told regulators. 'They've got enough business now anyways, so that's not going to hurt them,' he said. Woinski, the industry expert, said MGM National Harbor can afford to keep the 6-5 tables. Also, average annual payouts for slot machines are still set in Maryland regulations. State officials said regulations to safeguard the security and integrity of casino games remain intact, and any changes are subject to the more rigorous review. What we're trying to do is make sure the casinos have enough flexibility to manage their offerings on the floor.' 'We look to the casinos really to serve as the experts on product offerings. 'We are doing today every bit of due diligence that we did with these table games rules when they existed as a regulation,' LaBoy said.

The agency said it wants to provide casinos with 'tools to react to changes in the market.' The process eliminates 'unnecessary steps,' said Charles LaBoy, the state agency's managing director of gaming. Before, any changes would have been subject to legislative review or public comment periods, a process that usually took months.Īdding the 6-5 payout option was among the first changes made under the new rule-making procedure. Casinos are now required to adopt 'standard rules' for table games, and any changes only need approval from the agency's staff. Table game rules used to be set in regulations, but the commission repealed most of them earlier this year. Gordon Medenica, director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, projects that the arrival of MGM - expected to draw many gamblers from Virginia across the Potomac River - will mean hundreds of millions of dollars more in state tax revenue in the casino's first full year.

Maryland live casino floor map