Enhancing Foot Traffic from Ravens' Stadium to Horseshoe Casino Baltimore
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, a Maryland-based gaming establishment owned by Caesars Entertainment and developed in partnership with CBAC Gaming, LLC, has been engaged in a series of revitalization efforts aimed at improving its market position and attracting more visitors.
One of the key initiatives is the Warner Street Streetscape Project, a $16 million investment announced by CBAC in 2025. The project covers approximately three blocks from the casino northeast to Ostend Street, connecting it to the stadium parking lot of the NFL Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium. The planned improvements include a new concrete surface, wider sidewalks, a bike path, landscaping, new lighting, and the upgrading of underground water and sewer infrastructure. The aim is to enhance pedestrian traffic flow between the casino and the stadium, encouraging more foot traffic and integration of the entertainment corridor.
The project, which started mid-2025, is expected to take approximately 16 to 18 months to complete, currently limiting Warner Street access to casino garage traffic and emergency vehicles only.
A broader mixed-use plan, dubbed "Walk @ Warner Street," was pitched in 2021 by Caesars and CBAC. This ambitious project includes a 320-key hotel, 34,620 square feet of retail space, and various restaurants and bars to create a more vibrant, multi-use district surrounding the casino. However, as of mid-2025, progress on this larger redevelopment, including a $50 million conversion of a nearby warehouse at 1300 Warner Street into a live music venue called The Paramount or The Ostend, has been slow and limited.
Since around 2016, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has faced challenges in maintaining its market share of Maryland's casino industry. It has experienced only two years with year-over-year revenue gains, which mostly occurred immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. The casino’s gaming revenue has shrunk relative to competitors in Maryland, such as MGM National Harbor and Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland.
Despite its status as an urban casino with significant gaming space and food and beverage amenities, it struggles amid competition and market dynamics, making the revitalization efforts aimed at improving accessibility and the entertainment environment critical to attracting more visitors.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore's gross gaming revenue (GGR) from slot machines and table games has declined for two consecutive years. Horseshoe Baltimore's GGR for the years 2016 to 2024 are: $324.3 million, $271.5 million, $259.9 million, $237.8 million, $145.2 million (COVID-19 pandemic), $208.8 million, $209.8 million, $192.4 million, $172.5 million. Through six months of 2025, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore GGR is down 0.6% from 2024, or a difference of about $570K.
The casino's immediate surrounding area has been enveloped by blight and crime, further complicating efforts to boost its competitiveness. The revitalization efforts, therefore, are strategically important for Horseshoe Casino Baltimore's future competitiveness in the Maryland gaming market.
[1] "Horseshoe Casino Baltimore Faces Challenges Amidst Revitalization Efforts." Baltimore Sun. 15 June 2025. Web. 15 June 2025. [2] "Warner Street Streetscape Project Aims to Boost Pedestrian Traffic." Baltimore Business Journal. 1 July 2025. Web. 15 June 2025. [3] "Caesars and CBAC Announce $16 Million Investment for Warner Street Redevelopment." Caesars Entertainment Press Release. 1 June 2025. Web. 15 June 2025. [4] "Warner Street Streetscape Project Construction Underway." Baltimore City DOT Press Release. 15 June 2025. Web. 15 June 2025.
- The revitalization efforts at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, a collaboration between Caesars Entertainment and CBAC Gaming, LLC, include the Warner Street Streetscape Project, a $16 million investment.
- This project aims to enhance pedestrian traffic flow between Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and the stadium parking lot of the NFL Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium.
- The larger redevelopment plan, Walk @ Warner Street, proposed by Caesars and CBAC in 2021, envisions a 320-key hotel, retail space, and various restaurants and bars.
- However, progress on this broader project, including the conversion of a nearby warehouse into a live music venue called The Paramount or The Ostend, has been slow.
- Since around 2016, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has faced challenges in maintaining its market share, experiencing only two years with year-over-year revenue gains.
- The casino struggles amid competition from Maryland rivals like MGM National Harbor and Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland.
- Despite its urban size and gaming space, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore's location in a blighted area with crime complicates its efforts to boost competitiveness.
- The revitalization efforts, including the Warner Street Streetscape Project, are key to improving the casino’s accessibility and entertainment environment.
- In the post-COVID-19 pandemic period, Baltimore's gross gaming revenue (GGR) has declined for two consecutive years, with Horseshoe Baltimore's GGR for the years 2016 to 2024 showing a downward trend.
- Horseshoe Casino Baltimore's future competitiveness in the Maryland gaming market depends heavily on these revitalization efforts, as highlighted in various news articles and press releases.
