Last year, a friend took me to check out Horseshoe Baltimore. Having seen it driving by on the highway a number of times over the years, I was curious to see what a city casino like it would have to offer. Unlike many casinos it’s not a full resort with a hotel or other amenities (although there are definitely hotels nearby).
Its tie to the popular Caesars Rewards program helps add some cachet, especially given it’s relative proximity to Atlantic City, one of their larger markets. As such, it can have value to the large number of players in that program.
So let’s take a look at this casino, which opened in 2014 and what it brings to the table.
The Casino Floor
The casino features more than 2,200 slots, more than 150 video poker machines, and since it’s been open a few years, it’s gotten to the point where it has a nice, balanced mix of newer and older games. The casino’s nicely laid out as a two-floor experience, and it’s spread out over a pretty spacious floor.
They had some games I hadn’t seen in other casinos, which may have been a result of when they opened, as some of the hardware on their floors is somewhat rare in many casinos but would’ve been perfectly timed for that casino’s opening. They had many WMS games I’ve only had a chance of playing once or twice, and so I found myself flocking to them.
The table game selection is diverse, with both standard staples such as Blackjack and Craps, along with a lot of carnival games, offering a decent selection there. I didn’t partake in table games during my visit, but didn’t notice anything egregious in the table game minimum bets while I was looking around.
The Video Poker pay tables were standard for Caesars, meaning not great.
Comp Program
The Caesars Rewards program is well documented elsewhere on the site, but you earn a tier credit for every $5 of coin-in on slots, and every $10 of coin-in on video poker. They run various promotions like any local casino that can allow for point multipliers which is nice.
Players in Baltimore can then benefit for offers for other markets as a result of their recorded play there, so if you’re putting up good numbers they may tease you with offers to visit markets like Las Vegas. It’s one of the best benefits to being in a national program – it certainly isn’t the comp dollar/tier credit earning pace.
Other Thoughts
Like other casinos in Maryland, by law the casino is non-smoking, something that you can feel the difference from as a non-smoker vs. when you are in one that is more liberal with smoking policies.
Horseshoe does accommodate smokers by having The Terrace, an outdoor gaming experience that’s pretty substantial – 160 slot machines, 16 live table games and 15 video poker machines. It’s a heated space, allowing players comfort even in wintertime. You can see a virtual tour of the location.
A number of celebrity food brands that feature heavily in the Caesars-managed properties – Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Giada – are all present here. There’s not a ton of food options, but there’s a reasonable selection for a property this size.
It’s relatively close to Maryland Live! for those who want to have access to another casino outside of the Horseshoe, and a review of it will appear here in the future.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Horseshoe and will likely visit again when I find myself in the area.
