Wednesday, October 6, 2010

First casino opens, but Anne Arundel slots in limbo

online casino gambling
Gov. Martin O’Malley pulled the ceremonial first slots lever Sept. 30 at the grand opening of Maryland’s first casino, 3 days after Hollywood Casino Perryville’s 1,500 slots opened for business.

A second casino with 750 slots is slated to open in December at Ocean Downs, in Worcester County.

But Maryland’s most lucrative slots site, of the five approved for slots in a 2008 statewide referendum, is stuck in a electoral battle in Anne Arundel County. A county referendum — called Question A — on Nov. 2 will determine whether the casino proposed being built near Arundel Mills mall, licensed for 4,750 machines, gets the go-ahead or the boot.

“It’s the No. 1 proposal for funding vital services like fire and police, and the education trust fund,” said Todd Lamb, the campaign manager for Jobs and Revenue for Anne Arundel County, a pro-slots group. “There is no road map for bringing revenue to our county without going forward with Question A.”

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