Maryland Needs Slot Machines to Compete with PA

Maryland has been competing with Delaware and West Virginia racetracks for some time now, as both states have slot machines at their racetracks. However, now Pennsylvania has approved slot machines as well, and even has their first racino up and running this month. With all of the competition, it is getting tougher and tougher for Maryland to compete.

The slot machine revenue that comes into the tracks enables those establishments to offer larger purses, as well as nicer facilities and hence better horses. The industry says that they cannot match the incentives people have to go to their tracks because they cannot offer them slot machines. They have seen more than their fair share of breeders already moving to neighboring states because they can’t offer them the same perks. The Maryland tracks have been trying to make do without the slot machine revenue, but that means they have to cut the number of racing days as well as the number of races.

Those that have supported the slot machine measure in the past are hopeful that the new Democrat governor will be able to pass them through a mostly Democratic legislature. The old governor had not been successful in his four years of office, and slot machines were a major deal for him. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller had worked with the governor trying to get slot machines legalized, but they could not get it through the House of Delegates. House Speaker Michael Busch thought slot machines would be a positive thing for the racetracks, but have a negative impact on taxpayers.

Who knows if slot machines will get passed during this governors term, he may stand a better chance, or not. When asked if he would support slot machine legislation this time around, Busch said, "I think there are pressing issues with the environment, higher education and health care to deal with first."

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