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When Maryland voted to legalize slot machines, hopes were high for the revenue that these machines would generate.  Sadly, from the very beginning the state had trouble with the process of licensing the slot machines.  The legislation that passed allowed for 15,000 slot machines operating in Maryland and all of the projections for how much tax revenue slot machines would bring in were based on those 15,000 machines.

Now, Michael French says hope is on the horizon and that Maryland may soon be able to reach their goal of 15,000 machines.  French is the new consultant to the state slot machine location commission.

One of the major problems that the state faced during the licensing process was a lack of qualified bids to operate the slot machines.  The state was only able to round up four legitimate bids to operate slot machines on five locations and those bids have only requested 6,550 slot machines.  That leaves 8,450 unspoken for and not bringing in revenue for the state.

French, a principal with PricewaterhouseCoopers, has blamed the poor bid results on the economic recession and the slow credit market.  That being said there is sign that the economy may be on a slow road to recovery; at the very least the economic freefall has been bandaged.  French remains optimistic reminding the state that 15,000 slot machines are not a lot of slot machines and once the economy recovers they will be sought after with renewed interest.

In some ways French’s prediction is already beginning to take shape.  On group that has placed a bid for the Baltimore site has upped their request for slot machines from 500 slot machines to 3,750 slot machines.

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