Anne Arundel, Cordish, MJC/LRL jostling; Mall slots zoning OK'd

[Kasept]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,7834773.story

County council meeting now but may not vote on the zoning tonight...

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Kasept

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,7834773.story

County council meeting now but may not vote on the zoning tonight...

I am in the market for a MD bred that can run a 50 BSF..Great news

[-BT-]

great timing, only about 12 years too late.....and on the eve of jefferson county, wv getting table games

way to stay ahead of the curve MD...thanks glendening

-bt-

[Kasept]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...120704020.html

But the fate of the proposed facility, at an Anne Arundel County outlet mall, remained unclear. At a County Council meeting Monday, debate on a separate local zoning bill was expected to stretch late into the evening, and neighboring homeowners turned out in large numbers in opposition.

[Kasept]

Arundel delays slots decision

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,7641631.story

The Anne Arundel County Council deferred a decision on a critical step for the initiative - zoning approval - just hours after it cleared an important hurdle. After impassioned testimony Monday night, the council chose unanimously to postpone voting on zoning measures because one member was absent with heart palpitations, another recused himself and a third resigned for a new position.

[phystech]

I told you - AA County Council are a bunch of gutless pols.....

[Kasept]

Laurel vows to fight casino approval
By Matt Hegarty

http://www.drf.com/news/article/109672.html

The racing industry in Maryland vowed on Monday night to push back against the approval of a zoning measure that would allow the construction of a casino in Arundel Mills Mall near Laurel Park.

The approval by the Anne Arundel County Council caps a 10-month effort by the Cordish Cos. to get local go-aheads for the casino, which could be the largest in Maryland, housing 4,750 slot machines. The council voted 4 to 2 to issue a zoning permit for the casino on Monday night, over objections from local anti-gambling groups and Laurel's owners, who want a casino of their own.

The Cordish Cos. applied for the right to build the casino after Maryland voters approved a referendum last year allowing five casinos in the state, including one in Anne Arundel County, where Laurel Park is located. Laurel Park, through its parent company Magna Entertainment, also applied to operate a casino in the county, but its application was thrown out because Magna did not include a $28.5 million fee associated with the application.

After the vote, Laurel's general manager, Tom Chuckas, said in a statement that Laurel planned to join with anti-gambling groups in sponsoring a petition to overthrow the county vote. Laurel and its sister track, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, are operated by a Magna subsidiary called the Maryland Jockey Club.

"The Maryland Jockey Club will fully support the counter initiative sponsored by the group Stop Slots at Arundel Mills Mall to bring this issue back to the voters of Anne Arundel County, who deserve the right to determine if a mall is what they wanted for gaming," Chuckas said. "We are going to continue to pursue all of our legal options and exhaust all means and measures to continue this fight."

[randallscott35]

Building fans for this sport is not done through subsidies from other gambling endeavors yet that seems to be the only thing I ever hear.

[phystech]

AA County Executive signs Arundel Mills bill - vetos Laurel Park option.

http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/...42186&zoneid=2

"I've been to Delaware Park, I've been to Dover Downs, I've scouted out all these facilities," says Buddy Roogow, former director of the Maryland Lottery and current chief of the DC Lottery. "The truth of the matter is Laurel Park and other racing facilities in Maryland will get a substantial dollar, probably more than they would get otherwise, because Arundel Mills is likely to be such a huge success."

Chuckas, DeFrancis and Magna will now do everything they can to finish the job of completely killing racing in MD because Laurel Park won't be getting a slots license. Tom Chuckas is an utter disgrace......

[docicu3]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Laurel vows to fight casino approval
By Matt Hegarty

http://www.drf.com/news/article/109672.html

The racing industry in Maryland vowed on Monday night to push back against the approval of a zoning measure that would allow the construction of a casino in Arundel Mills Mall near Laurel Park.

The approval by the Anne Arundel County Council caps a 10-month effort by the Cordish Cos. to get local go-aheads for the casino, which could be the largest in Maryland, housing 4,750 slot machines. The council voted 4 to 2 to issue a zoning permit for the casino on Monday night, over objections from local anti-gambling groups and Laurel's owners, who want a casino of their own.

The Cordish Cos. applied for the right to build the casino after Maryland voters approved a referendum last year allowing five casinos in the state, including one in Anne Arundel County, where Laurel Park is located. Laurel Park, through its parent company Magna Entertainment, also applied to operate a casino in the county, but its application was thrown out because Magna did not include a $28.5 million fee associated with the application.

After the vote, Laurel's general manager, Tom Chuckas, said in a statement that Laurel planned to join with anti-gambling groups in sponsoring a petition to overthrow the county vote. Laurel and its sister track, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, are operated by a Magna subsidiary called the Maryland Jockey Club.

"The Maryland Jockey Club will fully support the counter initiative sponsored by the group Stop Slots at Arundel Mills Mall to bring this issue back to the voters of Anne Arundel County, who deserve the right to determine if a mall is what they wanted for gaming," Chuckas said. "We are going to continue to pursue all of our legal options and exhaust all means and measures to continue this fight."

Help me with this as obviously I am missing something....

1) Years of legislative work to put slots in Md ended with MAGNA,in it's current pathetic financial state, failing to put up the 18 million necessary to be considered for a slot license.

2) Legislature makes 3 licenses available provided no 2 licenses are setup in a single county.

3) Party who followed every rule, deadline, and provided the upfront money necessary for a licenses announces plans to build slot parlor.

Now MAGNA who refused to participate in the bidding process and has said no facility will be built by MAGNA at Laurel is now collecting 18K signatures to stop construction of a slots parlor because it is too close to Laurel.

Why should anyone care or side with MAGNA??????

[phystech]

I keep wondering when we are going to hear from the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, and, more specifically, its president Richard Hoffberger on this. The MD horsemen need to take a stance here and let it be known.

In my opinion as a MD horse owner, the last thing we need is more delay in getting slots revenue to pump up our purses.