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The Video Lottery Facility Location Commission has been tasked with issuing five licenses to operate slot machine in the state of Maryland.  Last week they finally got the ball rolling with its first public meeting on the matter.  Slot machines are being reintroduced to Maryland after decades of absence.  Voters legalized a set amount of slot machines in the state on Election Day 2008.

The commission has made a pubic request for business proposals from companies looking to open and maintain slot machine venues in the state.  The public request document is available on the e-Maryland Market Place Web site.  The deadline for all proposals is on February 2, 2009.

The Video Lottery Facility Location Commission is made up of seven members.  All members of the commission were select just this month; Maryland has wasted little time in getting slot machines spinning again.  Next month, in January, the commission has planned for a pre-proposal conference to give parties interested in operating slot machines a chance to ask questions about the licensing process.

It is expected that the commission will take a few months to review all of the proposals.  Slot machines will be overseen by the Maryland Lottery Commission.  The Maryland Lottery commission will performer criminal and financial background checks for all of the potential slot machine operators. 

According to Buddy Roogow, director of the Maryland Lottery Commission, the review process will take between six to eight months before it is completed.  Licenses to operate slot machines are not expected to be issued before fall of 2009.

“But obviously as we all know, in analysis and evaluation, there are things that may arise that can change that timeline,” said Roogow.

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