Maryland Isn’t Sure What They Are Doing        

Maryland is really not sure what they're doing when it comes to slot machines. The state's voters finally approved 15,000 slot machines at five locations within the state and yet nothing seems to be happening with that approval more than a year later. Almost 60% of their residents wanted slot machines and yet they still don't have them. When slot machines were approved the Baltimore Sun and the governor were very clear in that they did not want slot machines legalized and were unhappy with the turnout of the vote. 

The racetracks maintained that without slot machines they would go under. They said that if they went under it wasn't just about them losing their businesses, it was about money that would no longer be coming into the state and it was about thousands of jobs that would be lost. However because residents waited so long to pass the slot machines within the state the economy imploded and Magna, the owners of both the Laurel and Pimlico race tracks went bankrupt and jobs were lost. 

Not only that but the tax that the state is expecting from the slot machine operators is too high. The state is requiring operators to pay 67% on every dollar earned from the slot machines which is the second highest slot machine tax in the country. They are also making them pay $6000 per machine and an annual tax of $425 per slot machine. 

The state's law requires that the state buys or leases the slot machines and a central computer that runs them, which means they have to come up with the money before they have it. This then leads to a deficit that taxpayers have to make up because the money is not there yet from all other fees that they are requiring from those who want a license. 

This is only one part of the problem as some of the locations and online has even applied for a slot machine license yet. Experts say that the taxis and the fees that Maryland is requiring them to pay is a deterrent all by itself.

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