Home

A lot is being asked of slot machine in Maryland, perhaps too much.  Slot machines were brought in to help Maryland deal with a budget deficit and as a means of preserving the horseracing industry.  The way things are currently going with establishing slot machine parlors, most of these goals do not seem likely.

With a Constitutional amendment that welcomed 15,000 slot machines into the state, projected revenues were high and optimistic.  At this point with only a bid for 5,800 slot machines, the revenues seem like a pipedream.  In addition to the problem of a lack of bidders, there is also the recession.  It is questionable how many Maryland locals will have enough disposable cash to even play slot machines. 

The Video Lottery Facility Location Commission recently had to recognize that Maryland will not have anywhere near the planned $90 million in upfront licensing fees for slot machine in the 2010 fiscal year.  Two of the most reliable bidders were rejected for not coming up with said fee.  Its simple math, fewer slot machines means the state cannot expect to get anywhere near the projected $600 million a year in slot machine tax revenue. That number was projected if all 15,000 slot machine were in operation.

As of now, there are four bidders remaining.  It is not anywhere near what was hoped for by the state and voters, but gambling expansion is always a gamble.  This may be the reason why a group of legislators are trying to pass a bill that would bring 3,000 slot machines in the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Casino News