Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Corih Kim
On August 26, 2014, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore held a Grand Opening of its facilities in Baltimore, Maryland. The casino features 2,500 video lottery terminals, 122 table games, and 25-table World Series of Poker-branded room amid 122,000 square feet of gaming space.
However, it wasn’t until a week and a half later, on September 6, when the casino opened it’s Asian themed gaming room called the “Oriole Palace”. The Oriole Palace was built to attract Asian gamers who are traditionally a large demographic served by casinos.
The festivities began with the remarks from executives, followed by the dotting of the dragon’s eye in the Entertainment Plaza, the Lion & Dragon Parade with an acrobatic performance, and a Ribbon cutting ceremony in the Oriole Palace.
In a brief interview with Noah Hirsch, Vice President of Marketing, he stated, “This Asian Gaming Room will be bring a lot of luck and prosperity for the gamers, and this peaceful setting will be comfortable for our patrons. A peace of mind is a very important thing to consider for the gamers.”
Oriole Palace features a blend of Chinese iconography and symbols, with the colors of Baltimore. The exterior features a bamboo entryway, hand-crafted lattice work based on Tang Dynasty, 14’ by 14’ hand carved mountain and waterfall rising beneath a horseshoe and oriole. The floor is covered with a red carpet filled with the oriole birds, a symbol of luck. In the Asian Gaming Room, the patrons can play Pai Gow or Baccarat. Patrons can also enjoy Asian cuisines at Ruby 8, a featured restaurant at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.
