Slot machines continue to divide Maryland

30 October 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- As reported by Southern Maryland Online: "To one group, it's the 'crack cocaine of gambling.' To another, it's a fountain of cash for schools.

"The item in question: slot machines.

"The slots referendum, or Question 2 on Maryland's election ballot, has polarized activists and spawned a web of competing, contradictory 'facts.' Based on these arguments, the ballot item could either save Maryland from economic failure, or send cash-starved gambling addicts on crime sprees.

"One thing's for certain, though: On Tuesday, voters will decide whether or not to authorize up to 15,000 slot machines throughout the state, potentially reversing a decades-long ban.

"...More than half the total revenues produced would be used for various education needs, from pre-K through higher education.

"...Nevertheless, there are doubts as to whether tax revenue generated by slots will plug the state's budget deficit, projected to be $1 billion next fiscal year. The Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research, a think tank, said in a recent report that the referendum's approval may also have 'significant social costs' tied to addiction treatment and debt, among other things..."