penn national gaming

The Maryland General Assembly — with not a single vote to spare in the House but a heavy cushion in the Senate — gave final approval early Wednesday to a bill that would add table games and a sixth casino in Prince George's County to the state's gambling program.

Amid the rush to expand gambling in Maryland, nobody seems interested in one of the original purposes of our slots program: saving horse racing.

The Maryland Senate Friday evening voted 28-14 to pass a bill that would add table games and a sixth casino in Prince George's County to the state's gambling program.

The Maryland Senate prepared to take up the governor's gambling bill Friday as Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller expressed cautious optimism that the General Assembly will approve the measure by early next week.

It should have dispensed with the facade limiting gambling when slots parlors were first legalized, or it should wait until the next regular legislative session to deal with an issue that comes up so regularly and that has proven so lackluster when it comes to solving the state's financial problems.

The Perryville casino is getting hammered by competition from Maryland Live, so why are legislators confident they can expand the number of casinos in the state without putting the existing ones out of business?

As the General Assembly this week gets back together in Annapolis for a special session on gambling expansion, let's took a look at the events that led them here:

Penn National Gaming and the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association have agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep live harness racing at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George's County only if the General Assembly denies a casino license for National Harbor.

A senior member of the House of Delegates leadership said Wednesday that Gov. Martin O'Malley is likely to call a special session to deal with the issue of expanded gambling in the next couple of days.

Penn National Gaming spent far more than any other company on lobbyists in Annapolis in the past six months, laying out $877,432 to make its case before lawmakers, according to a new report from the state ethics commission.

A Maryland gambling expansion work group was impaneled by Gov. Martin O'Malley to consider gaming expansion and adding a sixth casino in Prince George's County.. During its first meeting June 1, which lasted more than five hours, the panel received a presentation from the Department of Legislative Services and testimony from operators of the state's existing and planned slots facilities.

Harford County Executive David R. Craig has asked a state work group studying gambling expansion to consider Harford as a casino site despite the proximity of an existing slots parlor in neighboring Cecil County.

The short life spans of Cordish's prior gaming undertakings raises the question of how long the developer will maintain a stake in Maryland Live, especially if it fails to stop a large casino from being built in Prince George's County.

Hollywood Casinos Perryville

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Court

Would a slots referendum doom gay marriage?

A high-stakes bill to expand gambling is still unsettled in Annapolis, but one thing seems clear: The payout right now is going to lobbyists.

The installation of the first set of machines at Maryland Live! Casino Wednesday was the latest development for the facility, scheduled to open in three months.

Four years after leading the way in the previous fight against slots legislation by the Maryland General Assembly, Kevin McGhee and the Laurel Clergy Association are taking casino gambling on again slammed slots as a "predatory practice."

Prince George's County executive's support for an alternate slots location alarms horsemen.

At a hearing before the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Feb. 22, Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker III advocated for an amendment that would name National Harbor as the location for a casino in the county.

A proposal by the Prince George's County executive to single out National Harbor as the only good site for a casino in the county ran into fierce opposition on multiple fronts Wednesday in Annapolis.

Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is dropping the county's long-standing opposition to a casino within its borders and endorsing construction of a $1 billion, Las Vegas-style gambling palace – a kind of Bellagio on the Potomac – at the riverside development known as National Harbor.

Perryville audit says town has $1.3 million surplus at end of fiscal year 2012

The Prince George's County Council voted 5-4 to table a bill that would have prohibited slots in the county.

We've seen glitzy artist renderings of downtown casinos before, but this time the developer — Caesars Entertainment Corp. — inspires more confidence.

Maryland horsemen need to be willing to play hardball with the simulcast signal from Preakness to force Frank Stronach to stay at the bargaining table over the industry's future.

Perryville town commissioners approve Hollywood Casino pylon sign

Penn National studies point out the obvious (slots and table games make money) but ignore all the obstacles to building a casino at Rosecroft

Commissioners split over increased revenue potential, 'visual clutter'

Proposal comes after reopening of Rosecroft Raceway

Forget the presents and cake — the Hollywood Casino Perryville, which will mark its first anniversary this Tuesday, plans to celebrate with a huge giveaway.

When Hollywood Casino Perryville, the state's first slots casino, marks its first anniversary this Tuesday, Sept. 28, the casino will have generated some $70 million in revenue for the state of Maryland and Cecil County and the state's troubled horse racing industry.

Parking and Hollywood Casino sign were hot button issues brought up by public at the Perryville meeting of the Board of Town Commissioners

Despite what newspaper editorialists might think, Penn National Gaming doesn't have unlimited funds to save Rosecroft Raceway, but purchase may offer best hope for the future of Maryland standardbred industry

Penn National, the giant gaming company, showed this week that it has no real interest in harness racing at Rosecroft but simply bought the track as a long-shot bet on getting a slots license.

Maryland labor secretary Alexander Sanchez will begin leading next week mediation on a new simulcasting agreement between Rosecroft Raceway and representatives of Maryland's thoroughbred racing industry.

The state is expected to mediate negotiations on a new racing simulcast agreement between Rosecroft Raceway and representatives of Maryland's thoroughbred industry.