Maryland House Agrees To Let Voters Decide Slot Question

[docicu3]

Long after the final race at Laurel was over with only a few hundred simulcast customers remaining at Laurel Park the announcement that the Maryland House had narrowly past legislation that would place the slot question in the hands of Maryland voters echoed over the intercom Friday night.

Though the necessary companion Senate bill remained still in question the sentiment at Laurel Park was part surprise and part relief as the remaining patrons mulled over a pending Hollywood card that complimented the usual night racing available at Charles Town and Mountaineer themselves slot havens with purses competitive with many major day venues.

The current bill would place the question on the Maryland 2008 November referendum in concert with the national presidential election ensuring a solid turnout next fall as Maryland tries to rescue it's once proud but regressing horse racing industry active at three venues of significance throughout the calendar year.

The horse may have left the stall but hopefully the barn door is yet to close...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/loc...l_tab01_layout

[ddthetide]

doesn't matter how bad the people of this state need the jobs or the racing industry needs the help. i'll bet my fellow marylanders vote against.

[phystech]

Watching this whole thing play out over the last 5 or 6 years has been nothing but an insult to the people of the State. What the General Assembly couldn't get done in 4 years of a (R) Governor's term, the (D)'s managed to squeeze out in less than 3 weeks for the new (D) Gov.

Even though I've been a horse owner in MD for the last 11 years, I won't be voting in favor of this slots bill. The current bill they have passed is a joke. Unless they make some changes, it won't get my vote. And that's coming from someone that supports slots in general, and is dying to see purse enhancements for the horsemen - I'd love nothing more than to have a horse or two again running for sweet purses at Lau and Pim.

I pray Magna is not able to obtain the license intended for the site to be located within Anne Arundel County.

This slots bill was painted as something that was needed to help dig the state out of their "structural deficit". By putting it to a referendum, another year goes by with no revenues from slots. Here' is the best case time line, in my opinion, for the slots money to start rolling in:

Nov 11, 2008 - referendum passes;
Jan 3, 2009 - MD General Assembly convenes and begins discussing the enabling legislation for slots;
April 2009 - enabling bill passes MD GA and licensing procedure begins with committees being formed to decide who gets slots licenses;
July 2009 - committee meets to formulate application process;
Jan 2010 - application process is completed and committee meets to discuss applications;
Jul 2010 - licenses are awarded to 5 applicants;
Aug 2010 - lawsuits initiated to block slots from being put in Alleghany County, Cecil County, and Ocean City;
Sept 2010 - injunctions awarded against slots facilities being built;
April 2011 - lawsuits defeated and slot facilities begin construction;
April 2013 - slots facilities are ready but State GA has encountered another budget crisis so the State's share of the State's revenue increases from 70% to 80%

I figure by Jan 2009, MD racing will be cut to about 90 days a year and horses that can't win at PennNat and Charles Town will be the mainstays at Pim and Lau. I don't see the MD GA providing purse relief through state funded purse enhancements because we're in such a "structural deficit" now.

Only the MD politicians could have screwed this up as much as it has been....

[ALostTexan]

Originally Posted by ddthetide

doesn't matter how bad the people of this state need the jobs or the racing industry needs the help. i'll bet my fellow marylanders vote against.

I hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised. Ohio needed the jobs and the racing industry needed the help, but it was still defeated...