THE CORDISH COMPANIES’ LIVE! CASINOS & HOTELS EARN 100+ HONORS IN CASINO PLAYER MAGAZINE’S 2026 BEST OF GAMING AWARDS
BALTIMORE (September 1, 2026) – The Cordish Companies’ Live! Casinos & Hotels earned more than 100 honors, including 44 first place wins in Casino Player Magazine’s 2026 Best of Gaming Awards, the prestigious annual reader-voted competition recognizing the ‘best of the best’ in the gaming industry across a variety of categories.
Live! Casinos & Hotels in Maryland, Philadelphia and Louisiana were all named Best Overall Gaming Resort and Best Casino in their respective markets. Live! Philadelphia and Live! Louisiana were also recognized for Best Hotel, while the Philadelphia and Maryland properties received the coveted Player’s Choice Awards by earning the highest number of reader votes across award categories in their respective states.
“We are honored that our guests across the Live! portfolio have recognized our properties and team members once again in the Best of Gaming Awards,” said Suzanne Trout, Chief Marketing Officer, Cordish Gaming Group. “From our established resort destinations in Maryland and Pennsylvania to our growing presence in Louisiana and Virginia, our team members bring the Live! standard of hospitality to life every day and this is a tremendous recognition of their commitment and talent.”
The 2026 awards mark an important milestone for The Cordish Companies’ expansion into Virginia. Live! Casino Virginia opened its temporary gaming facility in Petersburg in January 2026. Within months of opening, the property earned first-place awards for Best Dealers and Casino Where You Feel the Luckiest.
The early recognition comes as construction continues on Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, Cordish’s next world-class casino resort destination slated to open in Central Virginia in 2027. The property, in partnership with Pro Football Hall of Fame Member and Virginia Businessman, Bruce Smith, will feature over 1,600 slot machines and more than 60 live-action table games along with a 200-room hotel, 75,000 square feet of meeting and entertainment space, a resort pool and a collection of dining and nightlife options.
“Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia represents an exciting new chapter for the Live! Casino brand,” Trout added. “Our guests’ response to Live! Casino Virginia has been extraordinary, and these first awards demonstrate that guests already recognize the energy, service and hospitality our team has brought to Petersburg. As we continue developing the permanent resort, we are creating a destination designed to raise the bar for gaming and entertainment throughout the Commonwealth.”
Located in the heart of Philadelphia's Stadium District, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia dominated the Pennsylvania gaming field, taking additional first place awards for Best Players Club, Best Dealers, Best Hosts, Best Comps, Best Blackjack, Best Roulette, Best Craps, Best Keno, Best Video Slots, Best High Limit Room, Best Betting Options, Best Prop Bets,
along with Best Rooms, Best Suites, Best Hotel Staff and Favorite Casino Resort for a Staycation. The property features nearly 2,000 slot machines and electronic table games, more than 130 live-action table games, a dedicated poker room, high-limit gaming, the FanDuel Sportsbook and Lounge, a 208-room luxury hotel, a multipurpose Event Center and a diverse collection of dining and entertainment experiences.
Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland was the state’s gaming leader, with first-place wins including Best Suites and Favorite Casino Resort for a Staycation, for the five-time AAA Four-Diamond-rated resort and spa. The expansive casino property features 4,000 slot machines, nearly 200 live-action table games, a poker room, for which it won Best Live Poker, Best Table Games, Best Table Game Tournaments, Best High Limit Room, Best Blackjack, Best Overall Sportsbook and Friendliest Sportsbook, which are featured alongside the property’s vast dining options, and award-winning entertainment venue, The Hall at Live!.
Following its 2025 opening, Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana continued its award-winning momentum, taking additional top prizes for Best Hotel Staff, Favorite Casino Resort to Vacation At, Favorite Casino Resort for a Staycation, Best Promotions, Best Reel Slots, Best Blackjack, Best Roulette, Best Betting Options and Best Prop Bets. The property features more than 1,000 slot machines and electronic table games, more than 40 live-action table games, a DraftKings Sportsbook, an upscale hotel, a resort pool and fitness center, a multipurpose Event Center and a variety of dining and entertainment destinations.
The 2026 Best of Gaming Awards reinforce the Live! Casino brand’s ability to deliver highly rated guest experiences across a growing national portfolio, from established gaming resorts to emerging entertainment destinations. For more information about all Live! Casino properties, www.VisitLive.com/Casinos
About Live! Casinos & Hotels
Live! Casinos & Hotels set a new standard in best-in-class customer experiences with highly acclaimed resort, casino and entertainment destinations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southern U.S. regions. Live! delivers a renowned blend of world-class accommodation and amenities, award-winning dining, casino gaming action, and headline entertainment, all in an exciting, spontaneous atmosphere that has become synonymous with the Live! brand nationwide. Live! offers premier gaming experiences, including strategic partnerships with national brands to bring unique promotions and sports engagement opportunities to all Live! properties. With a commitment to impeccable customer service and treating guests like part of the family, Live! properties attract millions of visitors per year seeking unique experiences with gaming, dining and entertainment, all in one location. The portfolio includes Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland – located in the Washington, DC/Baltimore corridor; Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia – located in the heart of the South Philadelphia Stadium District; Live! Casino Pittsburgh – located in Westmoreland County, PA; and PlayLive.com – the company's branded Internet gambling business in the Commonwealth of PA. The newest Live! properties include Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana, located in Shreveport-Bossier, and Live! Casino in Petersburg, VA, a temporary gaming facility operating while construction continues on Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, a full-scale destination resort anticipated to open late in 2027. Live! Casinos & Hotels are owned and operated by Cordish Gaming Group, a division of the world-renowned developers The Cordish Companies. For more information, visit Livech.com.
###
About Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
Voted Best Casino in Pennsylvania by Casino Player Magazine, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia is a one-stop destination in South Philly’s Stadium District to enjoy the fast-paced action of four major professional sports teams, upscale accommodations, and world-class gaming, dining and entertainment. Located off I-95 and I-76, the property features more than 200 luxury hotel rooms, approximately 2,000 slots and 130 table games, including a dedicated poker room; plus, a FanDuel® Sportsbook and Lounge. Award-winning dining and entertainment options include The Prime Rib® legendary steakhouse; Luk Fu by celebrated chef Jet Tila; Sports & Social, a one-of-a-kind sports restaurant; 10th Street Market, featuring the classic Philly flavors of Geno’s Steaks, Lorenzo and Sons Pizza, Termini Bros. Bakery, and exclusive pop-up offerings from other favorite brands; a spirited nightlife scene at The Library Bar; and live music at Center Bar. The Live! Event Center offers more than 15,500 square feet of customizable meeting and event space with ample, secure parking. Guests can also play online in Pennsylvania on PlayLive.com Live! Casino & Hotel is owned and managed by Stadium Casino RE, LLC, an affiliate of The Cordish Companies. For reservations, call 1-833-472-5483 or visit LiveCH.com/Philadelphia. Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram @livecasinophl.
About The Cordish Companies
The Cordish Companies’ origins date back to 1910 and encompass four generations of privately-held, family ownership. During the past ten decades, The Cordish Companies has grown into a global leader in Commercial Real Estate; Entertainment Districts; Sports-Anchored Developments; Gaming; Hotels; Residential Properties; Restaurants; International Development; Coworking Spaces; and Private Equity. One of the largest and most respected developers in the world, The Cordish Companies has been awarded an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence for public-private developments that are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. The Cordish Companies has developed and operates highly acclaimed dining, entertainment and hospitality destinations throughout the United States, many falling under The Cordish Companies’ Live! Brand, highly regarded as one of the premier entertainment brands in the country. In gaming, The Cordish Companies has developed among the most successful casino hotel resorts in the world including the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. Welcoming over 55 million visitors per year, these developments are among the highest profile dining, entertainment, gaming, hotel and sports-anchored destinations in the country. Over the generations, The Cordish Companies has remained true to the family’s core values of quality, entrepreneurial spirit, long-term personal relationships, and integrity. As a testimony to the long-term vision of its family leadership, The Cordish Companies still owns and manages virtually every business it has created. For more information visit www.cordish.com or follow us on Twitter.
“The Cordish Companies,” “The Cordish Company” and “Cordish” are trademarks used under license by independent corporations, legal liability companies and partnerships (“Cordish Entities”). Each Cordish Entity is a separate, single-purpose legal entity that is solely responsible for its obligations and liabilities. No common operations or financial interdependency, and no intermingling of assets or liabilities of the Cordish Entities exists, or should be deemed to exist, as a result of the potential common reference to multiple independent entities operating under the names “Cordish,” “The Cordish Companies” or “The Cordish Company” here or elsewhere.