The siting of slots machines is a high stakes game but it is not a game of chance. According to the Washington Post, Gov. O'Malley's slots bill virtually directs two slots licenses to people who own two racetracks (Ocean Downs and Laurel Park) and donated much moolah to his campaign. A third slots place would be opened at Baltimore City's preferred site which is owned in part by Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis. I always did worry about how professional football players supported themselves after their playing days ended. I guess I can rest easy about at least one.
Apparently, two other sites remain open though Allegheny County appears likely to get one as does I-95 in Cecil County. New Yorkers can now combine that quickie marriage with a round of slots! A free roll of quarters with every marriage! It looks like supporters of Caesars Chevy Chase will not have their dream fulfilled. No locations are planned for Montgomery County so we'll have to travel to give our money away.
Meanwhile, the most interesting information was about Speaker Michael Busch's thoughts:
House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said that he is continuing to study O'Malley's bill but that he has concerns about "unjust enrichment or entitlement. . . . The whole idea is there should be a competitive bid."
Busch, the legislature's most powerful slots opponent, is supporting O'Malley's proposal to put the question of legalizing slots to voters in a referendum. But he and other lawmakers suggested that there will be significant debate over the details of the bill that O'Malley hopes will pass in the current special session devoted to addressing a budget shortfall of at least $1.5 billion.
The real news to me is that Busch is willing to go along with the governor on a slots referendum. Of course, the question remains whether this is a ruse or Busch is negotiating seriously. One suspects the latter though they don't come more wily than Speaker Busch or his counterpart over on the Senate side.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Republicans have outlined their own slots plan for a competitive budding process which sounds remarkably similar to Speaker Busch's ideas.
