MGM National Harbor

MGM National Harbor is a casino hotel in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. It opened on December 8, 2016, and cost $1.4 billion. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International.

MGM National Harbor
Aerial view of hotel and casino
Location National Harbor
Address 101 MGM National Ave
Opening dateDecember 8, 2016
No. of rooms308
Total gaming space135,000 sq ft (12,500 m2)
Signature attractionsThe Theater at MGM National Harbor
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerVici Properties
Operating license holderMGM Resorts International
Coordinates38°47′41.4″N 77°00′34.5″W
Websitemgmnationalharbor.com

History
South entrance
Hotel entrance and lobby
Conservatory, decorated in autumn decor

MGM Resorts International received a license in December 2013 to develop a $925-million resort (later increased to $1.2 billion[1][2]) in National Harbor.[3][2] The company received the license after competing with bids from Penn National Gaming to develop a $700-million facility at its Rosecroft Raceway and Greenwood Racing to develop a $761-million facility near Maryland Route 210.[2]

Construction on MGM National Harbor began in April 2014. It opened on December 8, 2016.[4][1]

In September 2017, MGM Growth Properties purchased the land and buildings of MGM National Harbor from MGM Resorts International for $1.2 billion in a leaseback transaction.[5][6][7] Vici Properties acquired MGM Growth, including MGM National Harbor, in 2022.[8]

Design and features

The white exterior of the building is in keeping with the marble used in many of the buildings in Washington DC. The organization of the casino is along a central axis, similar to the arrangement for the National Mall.[9] The design was provided by HKS, Inc. while the architect of record for the project is SmithGroupJJR.[10]

MGM National Harbor includes a 23-story hotel with 308 rooms, 135,000 square feet (12,500 m2) in gaming space, retail space, a spa, seven restaurants, a 3,000-seat theater with seven VIP suites, 27,000 square feet (2,500 m2) of meeting and event space, and a parking garage for 4,800 cars.[3][1]

The resort's public spaces feature a permanent collection of art inspired by the Washington metropolitan area and developed in collaboration with Prince George's County Arts and Humanities Council, Atlantic Arts, and RareCulture.[11][12] Artists, sculptors, and photographers featured in the collection include Alice Aycock, Charles Hinman, Chul Hyun Ahn, John Safer, Liao Yibai, Margaret Boozer, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Sam Gilliam, and Terry O'Neill.[11][12] The west entrance to the facility features a 25-by-15-foot (7.6 m × 4.6 m) iron archway composed of "found objects" such as farming tools, children's toys, wheels and axes designed by Bob Dylan.[13]


Incidents

MBE participation

In April 2015, the MGM casino was sued by a group of Prince George's County businesses[14] who claimed the casino didn't comply with minority business enterprise (MBE) contracting standards.[15][16]

Child electric shock

On June 26, 2018, a seven-year-old girl suffered traumatic brain injury while visiting the casino. Due to a faulty installation of a device meant to control the electrical flow to the rail lighting, Zynae Green suffered an electric shock and was left requiring the use of a wheelchair. Despite the family's pleas for help, MGM security did not initiate resuscitation, MGM stating "the guards followed protocol responding to the incident and determined that Zynae was breathing and did not need CPR". Prince George's County Police Officers started resuscitation upon arrival. The incident prompted an FBI investigation and the family has not been compensated more than a year after the incident.[17]

Cheating

In 2019, a baccarat dealer who worked at the casino was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a cheating scheme. Ming Zhang showed his co-conspirators cards before they were dealt, who split the winnings with him.[18]

Boxing death

Russian boxer Maxim Dadashev died on July 23, 2019, from injuries suffered during a July 19 boxing match at the Theater at MGM National Harbor.[19]

Brawls

Multiple brawls have been reported at the facility, including on the casino floor. During the casino's first night of operations, video emerged of an attendee who was beaten while on the floor, while another person grabbed a stool.[20] In 2022, brawls were reported in the dining area between multiple patrons, with no security visible. The casino canceled the Thursday event where the incident occurred.[21]

Robbery of winners

In 2020, two winners were robbed of more than $40,000 in winnings after leaving the casino and shot during the crime. The victims were followed by the assailants from the casino and robbed in Woodbridge, Virginia, where one of them lived and the other was shot.[22]

In another 2020 incident, a casino patron and hotel guest was shot and robbed of his casino winnings. After returning to his room in the hotel portion of the facility, Nathaniel Nagbe opened the door to find two armed men accompanied by a woman he knew. After he refused to open the hotel safe that contained more than $60,000 in winnings, Nagbe was shot in his stomach and fled down 17 flights of stairs before a valet called 911.[23]

See also

References
  1. "MGM National Harbor Casino Set to Open in 2016". CBS DC. Associated Press. March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  2. Barker, Jeff (May 4, 2015). "Giant MGM National Harbor casino is looking beyond Maryland". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  3. Lazo, Luz (April 20, 2014). "Work begins at MGM National Harbor site as Pr. George's fast-tracks application process". Washington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  4. "$1.4 Billion MGM National Harbor to Open December 8".
  5. "MGM Resorts International And MGM Growth Properties LLC Announce Transaction On MGM National Harbor Casino Resort" (Press release). PR Newswire. September 5, 2017.
  6. Neibauer, Michael (September 5, 2017). "MGM National Harbor is changing hands — sort of — for nearly $1.2B". American City Business Journals.
  7. Velotta, Richard N. (September 5, 2017). "MGM subsidiary buying Maryland casino; $1B share repurchase OK'd". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  8. Eli Segall (May 2, 2022). "Casino landlord Vici closes $17B buyout of MGM Resorts spinoff". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  9. Symone Garvett (December 8, 2016). "MGM National Harbor - HKS Architects". architectmagazine.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  10. "MGM National Harbor Resort". www.smithgroupjjr.com/. smithgroupjjr. December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  11. MGM National Harbor (February 25, 2016). "MGM National Harbor to Feature Permanent Art Collection Inspired by Capital Region's Rich Heritage". Yahoo Finance (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  12. Mary Ann Barton (February 26, 2016). "Regional Art to Be Showcased at MGM National Harbor". Old Town Alexandria, VA Patch. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  13. Drew Hansen (September 7, 2016). "MGM National Harbor's gatemaker? The one and only Bob Dylan". Washington Business Journal. Washington Business Journal. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  14. Kirkwood, Lauren (April 21, 2015). "RICO suit: MGM casino construction shut out minority businesses". Maryland Daily Record. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  15. "MGM: Nearly 1/3 of contracting firms in casino project are minority-owned". Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  16. Sykes, Michael. "Business owners claim MGM broke promise". Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  17. Alexander, Keith (July 8, 2019). "A child touched an electrified railing at MGM National Harbor resort, and lives changed". Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  18. Bui, Lynh (December 6, 2019). "Former Md. casino dealer sentenced to 18 months in $1 million cheating scheme, federal prosecutors said". Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  19. "Russian boxer dies of injuries suffered in bout at Maryland casino". The Washington Post. July 23, 2019.
  20. Whong, Jason (December 9, 2016). "Video: fight on floor of MGM National Harbor". Maryland Daily Record. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  21. Lewis, Tisha (August 2, 2022). "Wind Down Thursdays at MGM National Harbor canceled". Fox 5. Washington DC. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  22. Jouvenal, Justin (March 3, 2020). "Man is shot during robbery of more than $40,000 in casino winnings, according to search warrant". Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  23. Baca, Nathan (March 3, 2020). "Man is shot during robbery of more than $40,000 in casino winnings, according to search warrant". Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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