October 11, 2008
Sun coverage: Slot machines in Md.
Slots supporters have the cash to back their cause
The horse-racing industry and gambling companies have pumped $3.8 million into a campaign to convince voters to approve slot machine gambling in Maryland, according to campaign finance documents released yesterday.
Dixon supports slots
Promising that revenue from slots machines would provide a "significant and permanent reduction" in city property taxes, Mayor Sheila Dixon and other local elected officials yesterday urged city residents to vote for a November ballot measure to expand gambling in the state.
Slots referendum debate hosts pro, con leaders
Har Sinai Congregation will host a debate on the statewide slots referendum at 10:30 a.m. Sunday in the temple at 2905 Walnut Ave., Owings Mills. Fred Puddester, chairman of For Maryland For Our Future, will argue for passage of the referendum and Aaron Meisner, chairman of Stop Slots Maryland, will argue against it. Audience members will be able to ask questions. Information: 410-654-9393.
Slots union concentrates on promoting referendum
Unite Here, a union that represents workers in gambling and other service industries, plans to spend at least $10,000 on efforts to pass the statewide referendum on slot-machine gambling in November, according to a filing made with the Maryland State Board of Elections. Roxie Herbekian, associate director of the union's Mid-Atlantic region, said yesterday that the money will be spent to rent transportation and print literature for a door-to-door canvassing operation to urge voters to approve the ballot proposal legalizing slots. She also said the union might send pro-slots mailings to members. It has 4,300 members working in Maryland, including at Laurel Park race track, which is expected to seek a slots license if the ballot proposal passes.
Budget cuts tied to slots
While the state BRACes for budget cuts that are expected to significantly impact bread-and-butter programs such as education and public safety, leading politicians are seizing the opportunity to talk about another hot topic - slot-machine gambling.
Officials' rift central to slots contest
The animus between Comptroller Peter Franchot and Gov. Martin O'Malley is taking center stage in the Maryland slots contest, providing a lively sideshow to a years-old debate to be decided by voters next month.
Dan Rodricks: Here's one way to call the slots tossup
The last poll I saw on slots showed about 54 percent of Marylanders still supporting a state constitutional amendment allowing the gambling machines. That support was not as large as it appeared to be eight or nine months ago, which fits a theory I have: The closer we get to Election Day, the more people will think about this, and the more they think about it, the more of a tossup the outcome. It all comes down to which of the following attitudes prevail.
Arundel slots proposal divides the community
Perhaps more than in any other place in Maryland, the debate over whether to allow slot-machine gambling hits home in Anne Arundel County, where the state's largest slots parlor might be built squarely in suburbia.
Slots advocates begin TV advertising campaign
Pro-slots television ads will begin airing today on Baltimore stations, marking another escalation in a hotly contested gambling referendum on the ballot this November. Steve Kearney, a spokesman for For Maryland For Our Future, the pro-slots ballot committee, called the purchase of airtime a "significant buy" but declined to provide specifics. Polls have shown solid support for slots in Maryland, and anti-slots activists are BRACing for a multimillion-dollar onslaught of pro-slots advertising, funded by gambling interests. Voters will decide next month whether to amend the state constitution to authorize 15,000 slot machines at five locations across the state.
Ehrlich voices opposition to slot-machine initiative
Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a longtime slots advocate whose repeated failure to pass a gambling proposal defined his four-year term, indicated yesterday that he planned to vote against a slots referendum on the November ballot.
Slots in W. Md. could be area's ruin – or salvation
At the verdant Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort outside Cumberland, a retired nurse from Pennsylvania strolls the banks of man-made Lake Habeeb, relishing a vacation of spa treatments and boutique shopping while her husband plays the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.
Pro-slots radio ads begin airing in Balto.-D.C. area
Pro-slots radio ads began airing yesterday in the Baltimore and Washington markets after proponents of a gambling referendum made their first major purchase of airtime. An ad running on WBAL-Radio in Baltimore asserted that slots opponents have "proposed $700 million in new taxes" as an alternative to slots revenue. The anti-slots ballot committees have not proposed a tax increase, though some legislators support higher taxes as part of a budget-balancing plan. If approved by voters in November, slots are expected to bring in more than $600 million yearly, which would help fill projected budget gaps. Slots opponents said an advertising agency estimated the cost of the two-week pro-slots buy at about $240,000. Officials with For Maryland For Our Future, the pro-slots ballot committee, declined to discuss spending details, but confirmed a "substantial" investment in radio ads and television spots.
Cordish Cos. may enter slots license competition
Baltimore based Cordish Cos., which has built signature projects in the Inner Harbor and casinos in Florida, might compete for a slots license in Maryland if voters approve a November referendum legalizing the gambling machines, officials said.
Greater Baltimore group supports slots measure
The Greater Baltimore Committee, a group of regional business and civic leaders, announced its support of a November referendum authorizing 5,000 slot machines at five locations in Maryland. Committee President and CEO Donald C. Fry called the initiative a "reasonable way to provide needed additional revenues to our state." Because 5.5 percent of slots proceeds from a Baltimore facility would go to the city, "slots gaming would provide a revenue source that is sufficient enough to significantly reduce Baltimore City's property tax rate," Fry said.
Magna gets OK to use $2 million to promote slots
In a sign that pro-slots fundraising is heating up, the owner of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park has secured permission from its parent company to use up to $2 million to encourage voters to authorize slot machine gambling in Maryland this November, company officials announced.
Slots decision is a win for referendum proponents
A legal challenge to proposed ballot language for November's slot-machine referendum has mostly failed, although yesterday the state's highest court upheld a lower court's order to add one word to the hotly contested question.
With public divided, campaign to pass slots measure heats up
With recent polls showing a drop in popular support for slot machines, pro-slots forces in Maryland are ratcheting up their campaign for November's referendum. And as a budget crisis worsens, Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to visibly promote the slots initiative - potentially linking his political future to its success.
League of Women Voters opposes slots referendum
The League of Women voters joined the campaign yesterday against Maryland's November referendum on slot machine gambling, an unusual move for the nonpartisan organization that generally dedicates itself to voter education. The group's opposition centers not on the merits of gambling but on questions about the wording of the ballot question, according to a statement from the group's president, Lu Pierson. The wording is the subject of a lawsuit by slots opponents, who argue that that language is misleading because it states that proceeds would support education without mentioning that gambling interests and the horse racing industry would also benefit.
Highest Md. court to hear suit on slots referendum
The Maryland Court of Appeals will hear arguments Monday in a lawsuit protesting the ballot language for November's slot-machine referendum, the high court said yesterday. On Wednesday, a panel of Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judges ruled that the proposed ballot language was "misleading" but said it could be fixed by adding a single word to clarify that anticipated gambling revenues would "primarily" support state education programs. The current wording does not indicate that part of the money would go to other recipients, such as the gambling industry and the state lottery. That ruling was unsatisfactory to the plaintiffs, who are asking the court to alter the ballot language more significantly or to throw out the referendum entirely.
Slots ballot language ordered revised
A panel of Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judges ruled yesterday that the proposed ballot language for November's slot-machine referendum is "misleading" but said it could be fixed by adding a single word to clarify that state education programs are not the sole recipients of anticipated revenues.
Columbia Democrats to hold forum on slots
The Columbia Democratic Club will hold a community forum on November's slot machine gambling referendum Wednesday night. The event will feature Del. Frank S. Turner, a Howard County Democrat who helped craft the proposal, and Aaron Meisner, the chairman of Stop Slots Maryland. Voters will decide in November whether to amend Maryland's constitution to allow 15,000 slot machines divided among five locations around the state. The forum, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center, 6030 Tamar Drive.
Video gaming machines seized
Authorities raided a corner bar in Southeast Baltimore yesterday and seized three video gaming machines that police said were used for illegal gambling, part of an effort by the Maryland Comptroller's Office to crack down on such devices in taverns and liquor establishments across the state.
UM Board of Regents endorses state plan for slots
Wading into a political debate, the state Board of Regents unanimously endorsed yesterday a plan to install 15,000 slot machines at five locations across Maryland.
Cecil residents split on prospect of slots
As residents of Perryville confront the prospect of a sprawling slot-machine complex opening in their historic town, many recall previous plans for economic development that never seemed to deliver on their promise.
Impact of vote on slots
As the November referendum on slots nears, Maryland voters can expect a barrage of warnings from proponents about what a "no" vote could mean: cuts to public education and health care, higher taxes and the demise of the state's horse racing legacy.
Slots attack on 2 fronts
Gambling opponents attacked the wording yesterday of a coming referendum to legalize slot machines on two fronts, with two groups asking the courts to intervene and one demanding that the Maryland State Board of Elections change the ballot language.
Slots foes ask rewrite
Slots opponents proposed alternative language yesterday for a voter referendum on November's ballot that would legalize slot machine casinos across the state.
Slots opponents drafting suit over ballot wording
Slots opponents are drafting a lawsuit to challenge the wording of a ballot question that will be put to voters in November on whether to legalize slot-machine gambling at five locations in Maryland.
Slots ballot wording is criticized
Opponents of slot machines in Maryland decried the wording of a ballot question to legalize expanded gambling yesterday, saying it was crafted to garner more votes.
To OC, slots present threat, opportunity
The dusty harness track in Berlin, with its minor-league charm and horse-and-buggy night races, is no threat to the tourism juggernaut on the beach five miles away - and that's just how Ocean City business and political leaders want to keep it.
Slots foes may contest ballot text
Slots opponents said yesterday that they are contemplating a lawsuit to contest the wording of a November referendum on whether to allow the establishment of 15,000 slot machines at five sites across the state.
Racing subsidies could leave Md.
A November slots referendum designed to keep millions in gambling dollars from going to nearby states would, if approved, likely end up sending millions in tax revenue to out-of-state racehorse owners, according to a new analysis by a taxpayer advocacy group.
Wealth driving 'No' vote on slots
Stewart Bainum Jr., who fought the Maryland lottery as a state lawmaker, left politics more than two decades ago. But the multimillionaire and hotel magnate is still playing a role in the debate over gambling in Maryland - he recently cut a $10,000 check to an organization that's working to sway voters against slot machines in the November referendum.
Anti-slots groups reject gaming money
Groups fighting the legalization of slot machines in Maryland said yesterday that they don't intend to take money from gambling interests and that both sides need to reject such contributions to have a fair debate.
2 sides on slots to have booths at fair
All's fair at the State Fair, the opposing sides of the slots fight agreed yesterday.
Math behind slots is open to debate
The state's November referendum on slot machines could come down to whose math voters believe
Eyeing slots help, Chuckas takes Md. Jockey Club reins
Tom Chuckas spent his first official day as the president and chief operating officer of the Maryland Jockey Club in meetings, only to emerge yesterday to questions about his vision for the sport in Maryland.
Commission: Put slots at Laurel, Ocean Downs
The Maryland Racing Commission yesterday urged the state to place slots at Laurel Park and Ocean Downs, the only two tracks eligible under legislation approved during a special General Assembly session last year.
Official focuses on bar games
Comptroller Peter Franchot is pushing for Baltimore City and Baltimore County to stop providing licenses for thousands of video gambling machines that critics allege make illegal, "under the table" payouts in area bars and restaurants.
Teachers union backs slots referendum
The state teachers union voted late Friday night to support voter approval of slot machine gambling in a November referendum, the union announced yesterday.
Lawmakers focus on slots spending
Lawmakers in Annapolis are moving to tighten up campaign reporting requirements for the November referendum on legalizing slot machines, as both sides gird for what's expected to be a free-spending battle to win voters.
Miller presses teachers for help on slots
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has told the leaders of the state's powerful teachers union that they need to support a November referendum to legalize slot machine gambling or be prepared for severe cuts in education funding.
Panel votes for ban on slots-like devices
A Senate committee voted almost unanimously yesterday to advance a bill seeking to ban slots-like video gambling machines that have proliferated throughout Maryland, setting the stage for the full Senate to take up the measure today.
Gansler issues ruling on gambling devices
Many of the electronic gambling machines that have proliferated across the state in recent months are illegal, according to an opinion released by Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler's office Monday.
Electronic bingo backed by strong lobbying push
Electronic gambling machines - devices that resemble slots - have been proliferating in rural Maryland counties recently, in part because of a concerted lobbying effort by their manufacturer.
Franchot urges ban on video gambling machines
Comptroller Peter Franchot, who has long opposed the expansion of gambling in Maryland, called on lawmakers today to approve legislation that would ban video gambling machines by next year.
Tracks balking at slots campaign
Maryland's pro-slots forces are planning an eight-month campaign for a referendum on expanded gambling that they say would fix the state's budget problems and save horse racing. But those who stand to benefit most - the state's racetrack owners - are balking at the effort and saying that they might not participate in the push for the ballot measure.
Bingo devices under threat
They look like slots, they play like slots, they pay out like slots, and they have proliferated for years under a legal loophole.
Slots plan is picked apart
Maryland lawmakers grilled aides to Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday on his plan to allow up to 15,000 slot machines at five locations, raising questions about the proposed sites, local approval and the impact on the state's two thoroughbred racetracks.
Slots lose luster at Fla. track
Gulfstream Park, South Florida's major thoroughbred horse-racing track, installed slot machines last year, rows and rows of them. And gamblers came.
City's eye on slots site
An 11-acre warehouse district south of Baltimore's sports stadiums would become the home of a new slots facility under a proposal by Mayor Sheila Dixon's administration that officials said could cut city property taxes, The Sun has learned.
Majority favor slots
Anne Arundel County residents' opinions are decidedly mixed on Gov. Martin O'Malley's tax proposals to balance the state budget, with strong majorities favoring raising taxes on businesses and high-income earners but opposing increases in the sales and car-titling taxes, according to a new survey.
A vote on slots called odd bet
Around the country, ballot measures to allow slot machines or casinos usually fail, according to experts who study the issue.
O'Malley betting on slots
Reviving one of the most hotly debated issues in Annapolis, Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that he will push for legalized slot machine gambling as a way to close Maryland's $1.7 billion budget gap, help the state's struggling horse industry and preserve open space.
Report makes case for Md. slots
The O'Malley administration released a report yesterday that concludes slot machines are necessary to protect Maryland's racing industry, giving the strongest indication yet that the governor intends to make expanded gambling part of his plan to close a projected $1.5 billion budget gap.
Slots measure still has the look of a loser
The joke for a while on the campaign trail was that Maryland voters who didn't want slot machines had two choices for governor: Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, who opposed them, and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., whose repeated attempts to legalize them routinely ended in failure.
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