We're learning more about where you could see slots pop up in Maryland and how many. And the news isn't as good as state officials first hoped for. Under the constitutional amendment that legalized slots, state officials were hoping to bring 15,000 slot machines to Maryland.
On Monday, the commission overseeing the licensing process announced the state received bids for about 10,500 machines. But that number has dropped again to only 6,550 machines that have been paid for in the bidding process, a big disappointment for officials hoping slots would bring in $600 million by the year 2012. Don Fry, the chairman of the state’s independent slot machine commission says, “The economy certainly has had some impact on these submissions."
The state received a total of 6 bids for the five sites. Here's the breakdown. Anne Arundel County is the only location that received competing bids. Baltimore-based Cordish Company wants to put 4,750 slots at Arundel Mills Mall. The Maryland Jockey Club put in a bid for 3,000 machines at Laurel Park. But the commission did not receive a licensing fee for that application, putting the validity of that bid into question. Fry says, "It appears these do not meet the basic requirements."
The Baltimore City Entertainment Group is proposing an initial 500 machines at the Baltimore site with the possibility of adding more later on. In Worcester County, Ocean Enterprises wants to put 800 slots at Ocean Downs, with the possibility of expanding at a later time. In Cecil County, Penn Cecil Maryland wants 500 slots in Perryville. And in Allegany County, Empire Rocky Gap is proposing 750 machines at Rocky Gap State Park. But the commission did not receive a licensing fee for that application either. House Speaker Michael Busch says, "Obviously these are tough economic times. A couple of the bidders who bid in Maryland pulled out in the state of Kansas. As you know capital is tough to come by."
Comptroller Peter Franchot who campaigned against slots says now is not the time to rely on slots revenue to get the state out of its money troubles. "We have a huge fiscal crisis and slots are not going to play a major role in resolving that." Next week, the commission will review the bids that did not pay the licensing fee to determine if those applications will be thrown out.
