Buckel hopes sports betting will come to Rocky Gap casino
Apr. 21—CUMBERLAND — Del. Jason Buckel said Thursday he hopes the owners of Rocky Gap Casino Resort will take up on-site sports betting.
Buckel, a Republican who represents Allegany County and is minority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates, has been involved with gaming issues since going to Annapolis in 2014. He spoke at a Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon at the Cumberland Country Club hosted by the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce.
Jeremy Irons, a legislative committee member, posed questions at the event to Buckel, Sen. Mike McKay and Del. Jim Hinebaugh. Irons asked Buckel for an update on gaming.
Golden Entertainment announced plans late last year to sell Rocky Gap for $260 million, with the transaction expected "to close in the next month or so," Buckel said.
The buyers, Century Casinos and VICI Properties, is expected to pay $56.1 million for casino operations and VICI will acquire the land and buildings for $203.9 million.
"It is our hope that this new company will want to have sports gaming and pursue a further investment," said Buckel. "The (purchasing) company is European-based, but they have a number of small- to medium-sized casinos in North America from Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), to a couple in Colorado and one in West Virginia and one in the Midwest."
The Rocky Gap Casino has been owned by Golden Entertainment since it opened in 2013. Buckel said Golden has expanded over the years and decided to sell smaller holdings like Rocky Gap.
"We are hopeful we will get sports gaming here. Not just because it's a nice thing to have and other places have it ... 'cause right now Allegany and Garrett and a handful of small counties on the Eastern Shore are the only places that do not have brick-and-mortar sports gambling in the state."
Buckel said the Rocky Gap Casino, which donates 5.5% of its revenue from slot machines to Allegany County each year, has helped "pay for a lot of projects in the county because of the formulas we've arranged in Annapolis."
Rocky Gap, which is situated on 270 acres along Lake Habeeb near Flintstone, features 198 hotel rooms and an 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
The casino has 626 slot machines and 16 table games, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission. The casino includes a 25,000-square-foot gaming floor, as well as five restaurants.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
