Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland said this week that he is sending a representative of his office on a "fact-finding" tour of horse racing tracks in neighboring states
-- Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Delaware --which already allow slot-machine gambling. The move foreshadows a likely legalization of slot machine gaming in Maryland, perhaps as early as this year, experts said.
"We want to look at our competition in other states, to see why it is they have been able to infuse their racing industries with new life," said O'Malley.
Machines Needed
The state's racing industry has declined as in recent years, as racetracks compete with tracks in surrounding states that have slot machines. The machines also could offer a partial solution to the state's anticipated budget shortfall. Gov. O'Malley has pledged support for a "limited" number of slot machines at racetracks, and he said yesterday that they could be part of a "comprehensive solution to our budget challenges." He said he is in talks with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), a leading slots proponent, and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), who opposes more gambling.
According to Thomas E. Perez, secretary of labor, licensing and regulation, for the State of Maryland, he is planning to start with a visit next week to Philadelphia Park in Bensalem, Pa., which opened slot-machine operations just last December. During the first three weeks in operation, Philadelphia Park earned $175 million in wagering revenues. The planned trips to Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia -- states that fuel their horse-racing purses with revenue from slot machines there -- are the most vocal public signal to date that O'Malley is going to expand gambling.
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