The Prince George’s County Council moved forward with a financial measure aimed at bolstering youth services and community development in District 8 during a Committee of the Whole session May 12.
District 8 is home to MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino, as well as neighborhoods including Oxon Hill and Camp Springs, and the Andrews Air Force Base.
In a 7-0 vote, the committee approved advancing $4.7 million in Fiscal Year 2026 Local Impact Grant (LIG) funds by way of an agenda letter to be reviewed by the council.
State law requires LIG funds be directed toward improvements in communities within close proximity to video lottery facilities or licensed gambling establishments. Such improvements include investments in public safety, economic development and public services.
Under the council-approved plan, the community impact grant funding will be directed to Victory Church International, operating as Greater Works Ministries, as part of a broader multiyear spending strategy. During a staff overview presented before members cast their votes, staff said the allocation would support “the Youth Jobs and Apprenticeship Program, Youth Leadership Academy, scholarships and community-based programming serving District 8 residents.”
The LIG funding has its roots in a 2008 statewide referendum in which Maryland voters authorized the state’s first video lottery licenses to generate revenue for public education, construction at community colleges and higher education costs.
To oversee the process, the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission was established to conduct a bidding process to award licenses to operate video lottery facilities across five jurisdictions in Maryland. In 2012, the Maryland State Lottery Agency was renamed as the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, reflecting an expanded mandate that included new regulations for casino operations and authorization to remain open 24 hours.
Later that year, legislation was implemented authorizing table games at Maryland casinos and expanding the law to include a sixth license designated specifically for Prince George’s County. The commission awarded that license to MGM Resorts International before being officially dissolved.
MGM National Harbor, which opened in 2016 and operates within District 8, pays taxes that are channeled into local community programs, notably free and discounted tuition to Prince George’s County Community College for residents of Districts 7 or 8 living within a six-mile radius of the casino.
According to the college, the program provides eligible students with partial or full tuition scholarship awards funded through MGM’s annual gaming tax contributions to the local community, intended to cover mandatory fee expenses for credit, workforce development, senior adult programming and Continuing Education courses.
The council’s vote aligns with PG County’s ‘holistic approach’ to empowering its youth, “preparing and empowering our County’s youth to achieve their full potential into adulthood.” The allocation will be referred for preparation of an agenda letter to be reviewed at a later date.