A new outdoor gaming terrace recently opened at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Vice President of Casino Operations Alex Alverado stated social distancing still is the rule, outdoors and in. “We’ve got 41 of the most popular slot machines on the current casino floor. We brought them out to this open air, spacious concept,” which Alverado said was in the works prior to Covid-19. However, the pandemic “allowed us to reprioritize, and it felt like something that was more prudent than ever in these times, for sure.”
Alverado added MGM National Harbor isn’t the typical casino with no clocks or windows. “Here you get plenty of natural light coming into the casino floor. This is really more the casino of the future,” he stated, adding, “If you look at the outdoor venue, there’s actually more space between each slot in this space than in what I would call a more traditional format. And we’re doing this, at the same time, inside the casino itself.”
The terrace gaming tables are equipped with Plexiglas shields that separate players from each other and the dealer. Unlike the casino interior, smoking is allowed on the terrace. “You can’t smoke indoors, but in this space, the customer who wants to smoke while they game has the opportunity to do so,” Alverado said.
Another feature of the terrace, Alverado pointed out, is convenience. “You park, enter the facility, immediately take a left, there’s the M Life Rewards desk, you grab your promotions, any free play, and the outdoor space is adjacent to that,” he said.
Alverado said the outdoor terrace will continue to be enhanced. “We have intent for this space to be here, and to be evolved and improved over time. It will be even better for our guests as we get some of their input,” he said.
One prime benefit of the terrace is the view. “You can stare into D.C., you can stare into Virginia, we’re sitting here on the Potomac. Your mind can kind of wander as to what else we can do with this space,” Alverado said.
