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The casino opens Thursday night at 11 p.m.

MARKETING

With three major airports nearby, MGM hopes to attract international travelers visiting Washington as well as U.S. tourists coming to see their nation's capital, particularly those from the Southeast. This will be Maryland's sixth and biggest casino, but Murren said there are only a handful of casino-resorts on the East Coast that have as much to offer as this one. "This was designed and is programmed to draw people into the state and not simply to be a casino," Murren said.

THE OFFERINGS

MGM National Harbor's casino floor is about 125,000 square feet, with table games and more than 3,300 slot machines. An intimate 3,000-seat arena already has lined up well-known acts like Bruno Mars, Sting, Cher and Boys II Men. The hotel is 23 stories with 308 rooms. There's also a spa, salon, outdoor pool and 50,000 square feet of meeting space. High-end branded retailers include the first SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker boutique. Bars and restaurants feature local, national and international chefs, including a Voltaggio Brothers Steak House. A 12-foot chocolate fountain is the centerpiece of a European-inspired pastry shop, called Bellagio after the MGM casino in Las Vegas.

ART

Seventy-two works of art are displayed inside and outside the casino. Bob Dylan's "Portal," a metal collage with an aquatic theme including a Maryland blue crab, arches over an entrance to the casino floor. It is the singer and Nobel laureate's first work of art for a public space on permanent display.

"I viewed art from the inception of National Harbor as not an amenity, but as an integral part of the narrative and experience to the resort," said Murren, who majored in art history in college. The collection also contains work by local artists. Docent tours are planned, and descriptions of the art can be downloaded on smartphones.

DONALD TRUMP

This touch of Las Vegas opens about six weeks before the inauguration of Donald Trump, whose businesses have included hotels, casinos and other hospitality industry properties.

"Moving forward to have somebody that's been experienced in this industry is, you know, a positive from a travel and tourism perspective, and I certainly look forward the next several years for our company," Murren said.

But as Trump knows, success in the casino industry can be elusive. MGM National Harbor's opening comes about two months after the Taj Mahal, which was built by Trump, closed in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Taj Mahal was Atlantic City's fifth casino to close since 2014 amid rising casino competition in surrounding states.

LONG-PLANNED

MGM National Harbor has been in the works for years. When Maryland voters first approved casinos in 2008, only five casinos with just slot machines were allowed. Then in 2012, voters approved a sixth casino in Prince George's County, including permission for table games. MGM and rival casino owner Penn National Gaming, Inc., spent more than $80 million on the campaign leading up to that vote, with Penn National opposing the MGM expansion.

THE COMPETITION